Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was a calm, chilly day and snow was slowly falling on a snowy mountain range from the clouds above. A gentle breeze passed through, blowing the snow around the area. It was a cold place and there was no life going around, but for one small creature, it wasn’t going to stop her from hopping around in search of something. This was a small, saber-tooth squirrel. In her hands was a brown acorn.

The saber tooth squirrel, named Scratte, was looking for a place to store her acorn for the winter. She hopped around the flat, icy ground. She stopped and tried digging through the ice. She pushed her acorn into the ground, but it didn’t go in.

Scratte hopped a few inches away and tried again, only to get the same result as last time. She hopped again and tried again— this time doing it three times— but once again, the ice was thick.

Thinking this wasn’t a good place to put her acorn, Scratte hopped off. She sniffed through some cold, dry grass, but didn’t find anything. She peaked her head above the grass and kept looking.

She dug into some more ice, but could see that pushing her acorn into it wouldn’t work. She hopped off, continuing her search, when she noticed that the ice she was now standing on wasn’t as thick as before.

Scratte squealed with delight and she shoved her acorn into the ice. The acorn didn’t go far in, but it at least dug into the ground.

But Scratte wasn’t going to leave it like that. She kept shoving it deeper and deeper into the ice, scrunching it in with all her might. She even got on it and stomped on it, desperately wanting the acorn to go in. But as he did, the acorn suddenly jolted into the ground, confusing the squirrel.

As she thought about why this happened, a crack crept from the acorn’s hole and travelled across the ground behind him. Scratte looked underneath her and saw that the crack climbing up an ice wall.

The crack reached the top of the cliff and zigzagged its way across the ground, past ice formations and reaching a glacier. But this time, it reached the top and the glacier was now loose. Unable to hold stable, the glacier broke off and slowly started creeping down its path, right towards Scratte.

Scratte, seeing what he had unintentionally done, quietly squirmed. She saw the glacier coming towards her and fled. But she stopped upon realizing that her acorn was still stuck. She yelped in shock before rushing back to retrieve it.

She grabbed onto it and pulled hard, trying to get it out. It wouldn’t budge and she started panicking.

After a mighty tug, it came loose and landed into Scratte’s hands. But now, she was in huge trouble. The glacier towered over her and was about to run her over. She screamed loudly upon seeing the glacier getting closer.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Now making a mad dash for her life, Scratte was also being chased by falling pieces of ice being let up by the moving glacier.

The glacier kept charging towards Scratte, demolishing everything in its path. The squirrel kept running from the glacier, hoping to get away from it, when suddenly, she spotted another glacier coming towards her from the opposite direction.

Now stuck between the two massive bodies of ice, Scratte ran out of their ways. But the two glaciers collided and started closing in on each other.

Scratte, seeing there was no time to run out of there, slid on her acorn, screaming loudly as the two walls got closer and closer like two boxes crashing together.

She kept sliding until she got very close to the edge, where the two glaciers started squishing her, locking her in place. She pushed her acorn out of the way and tried getting herself out as well.

Almost falling into unconsciousness and being squeezed hard, Scratte was finally pushed out, along with her acorn. Now in midair, she grabbed her acorn and embraced with it, only to realize that she was now falling from a high level of altitude.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

Scratte landed on an ice wall, sliding down it and going down a dirt wall. A ledge launched her into the air again, but this time, she crashed on the wall as it slid down to the ground.

Bouncing off the dirt, she landed on the ground, with her teeth dug into it. After pulling herself free, she looked around, hoping if her acorn survived the crazy experience. Her acorn was nowhere in sight. But just as it seemed it was a loss for the squirrel, her acorn landed on her head and slid onto the ground.

She squealed with happiness upon seeing her beloved acorn intact. She hugged it tenderly and started to walk off in search of a place to put it.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant gigantopithecus’s foot stomped on Scratte, causing him to lose her grip on the acorn.

Flattened by the massive weight, she picked herself up as the gigantopithecus walked off. Suddenly, another prehistoric mammal, a Brontohere stepped on her. Following him was another mammoth and a dodo bird. Another foot landed on Scratte, but this time, she was stuck on it and was being carried away from her acorn.

The foot belonged to a Macrauchenia, a prehistoric mammal that was part of an enormous migration of mammals heading away from the northern regions in search of warmer climates.

An ice age had begun.

Chapter Text

This massive herd of mammals consisting of macrauchenia, glyptodons, palaeotherium, prehistoric aardvarks and brontotherium, was slowly travelling away from the snowy areas, migrating south to avoid a freezing cold front. Miles behind them was a glacier monument known as Glacier Pass, a large ice formation with a huge cut engraved in it, like an ice gorge.

Two macrauchenias argued amongst each other.

“Why not call it the big chill or the nippy era? I’m just sayin’, how do we know it's an ice age?”

“Because of all the ice!”

“Well, things just got a little chillier.”

A group of young palaeotheriums seemed stuck in a large hole. “Help! Help!” they cried.

The father rolled his eyes. “Come on, kids, let’s go. The traffic’s movin’.”

“But, but, but, Dad—” one of his children started.

“No buts,” the father interrupted. “You can play extinction later.”

The child pouted, relenting. “Okay…” He looked to his siblings. “Come on, guys.”

Two glyptos looked around, seemingly for their friend.

“So, where’s Eddie?”

“He said he was on the verge of an evolutionary breakthrough.”

“Really?”

Eddie ran off a cliff and tried to flap his legs as if they were wings. “I can fly!”

“Some breakthrough,” remarked the first in a flat tone as he watched his friend fall.

As this massive herd continued on, but suddenly, a large gasp erupted in the crowd of mammals. Everyone looked and to their shock, they saw a gigantopithecus stomping his way across the herd, going the opposite direction. Spooked, the mammals in his path frantically started moving out of the way.

“Look out, look out!”

“You’re going the wrong way!”

“The other way!”

“Crazy monkey!”

As this happened, the gigantopithecus didn’t glance at what he was causing, nor did he seem to care. He kept stomping his way through the crowd, ignoring everyone around him. This ape, Gutt, had a sour expression on his face as he plowed through the crowd. Only one mammal had the guts- ironically enough- to stand up to him for his actions.

The father palaeotherium shouted: “HEY! DO THE WORLD A FAVOR: MOVE YOUR ISSUES OFF THE ROAD!!”

Gutt looked down at him, snarling, “If I was a half pint like you… I’d keep my muzzle shut before someone cuts it off.” He made a slicing notion around his own muzzle for emphasis, his gnarly teeth baring themselves afterwards.

The tapir-like creature cowered back. “Hey, g-give me a break. We…we’ve been waddlin’ all day.”

“Now look who’s got their issues on the road,” Gutt said mockingly. Watching the little wench deflate, he rolled his eyes and gestured ahead. “Oh but by all means, keep going. Follow the crowd.” He kept waving his arms ahead, before sneering. “The silence that’ll follow once you disappear is gonna be music to my ears.”

“You can’t talk to my dad that—” one of the younger palaeotherium children began, but her father put his leg in front to stop her.

“Leave it, sweetie.” The father began to go ahead, whispering to his family, “If he wants to freeze to death all alone, let him. The world’s better that way.”

Gutt watched as the family left, one by one, before letting out a baboon-like chant towards the smallest of the little herd. She shrieked and ran ahead to catch up, while the monkey laughed.

It was cruel, he knew, but his heart had hardened over the years. He couldn’t afford to care for anybody or anything, not in this cruel world— a world that deprived him of so many things. Happiness, love, a family… the least it could do was grant him the peaceful silence and solitude he needed now and if he had to act harsh to achieve it, then so be it.

The gigantopithecus huffed, then went down his own path. Freezing to death would be ideal at this point. 

At least then, he'd be reunited with them…

In a nearby burrow, someone else was feeling the trembles from the migration. It was a rather petite badger with a coat that looked no different from the modern day North American badger. This creature, Gupta, was sleeping on his bed made of leaves when he fell over as a result of the shaking grounds. Startled awake, he looked around the den.

“I’m up!” he announced, only to receive nothing in response. He looked around, frantic. “Suprabhat!” He felt worried when he heard no one saying ‘suprabhat’ back to him. He checked the other beds in the den, seeing that they were vacant — abandoned.

Gupta got up out of the den and looked around the entrance, near the tree where his family would hang out around near the bottom, usually to devour fallen fruits and such. “Ram? Sunita? Sunil? Gita? Uncle Krishna?” he called out each of his family’s names, to no avail. “Where is everybody?!”

He looked around frantically. Where could they be? “Chalo dosto, we’re going to miss the mi– the mi… migration.” The silence finally helped it all settle in for the badger. They left him behind. His family abandoned him. And it hadn’t been the first time either, which made it worse. They’d done it ever since they left their first home, from a continent far from this den they settled in…until now, that is.

“They left without me, just like every year prior,” Gupta sighed sadly, his shoulders sagging. He looked at the ground and kicked a pebble. “Kyon hota hai aisa? Does anybody care about me?” he asked aloud, to no one in particular. “Will anybody notice Gupta the badger?”

He looked to a glypto nearby, who merely scoffed and walked off. The badger’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Fine, I’ll just go by myself. As per usual,” he huffed and went ahead. Noticing a pile of dung nearby, he winced and stepped to the side to make sure his clawed feet were nowhere near the animal excrement. “Gross. Do dung beetles forget they have a job to do? Disgraceful.”

–0-

Two brontotheres looked over a nice salad.

“I can't believe it. Fresh wild greens,” the first one, Carl, marveled. “Frank, where did you ever?”

Frank jittered, ecstatic. “Go on, dig in.”

Carl gasped when he saw a particular flower. “A dandelion! I thought the frost wiped them all out.”

“All but one~” Frank replied in a sing-song like tone.

But then the mood changed from happy to pissed once a certain badger ended up stepping on their salad. “This has been a terrible day!” exclaimed Gupta as he trudged through the leaves. He looked to Carl and quickly scattered to sit on his nose horn for a moment, leaning on one side. “Aap jaanate hain mera kya matalab hai, dost?” He noticed a leaf attached to his foot and shook it off. “Ugh, my feet got soiled anyway!”

Frank had a murderous look in his eyes, while the badger went on. 

“I heard that rhinos have small brains, so small they’re like little peas.” Gupta made a gesture with his claws. “Is that true? Or do you even understand what I’m talking about? Probably not. The larger the mammal is, the more stupid they are usually.” He shrugged and then hopped of Carl’s horn. His eyes lit up when he spotted the dandelion. “Oh, delicious — a dandelion!” He grabbed it in his hands, standing bipedal for a moment. “The last one of the season…” He quickly devoured it, savoring the taste.

Frank’s expression darkened. He began huffing in and out, furious.

“Easy, Frank,” Carl tried to calm his friend.

“He ruined our salad,” said the other rhino through gritted teeth.

Gupta’s eyes widened and he gulped down the remains of the dandelion, quickly turning and throwing his hands up. “Salad? Oh, I’ve made a terrible mistake…” He backed up as the rhinos began to move towards him, murder in their eyes. “Let me—”

The badger tripped over a fallen branch, landing on his back. “No, I’m serious, I can fix this!” He picked up a pine cone. “Look! These are good — are haan! They’re a delicacy back where I was born.” That was a lie ten times bigger than he was, but the badger needed to say anything to save his skin, lest he should become a new decoration for these rhinos’ horns. So he winced and bit into the pine cone. “Svaadisht!” Each bite, he felt his teeth ache. He was an omnivore, but only to a certain extent — his sharp teeth, no matter how dull they seemed in comparison to a saber’s, weren’t meant for this kind of herb.

Quickly, Gupta scurried to the rhinos, climbing on Frank’s head and shoving a pine cone into his jaws, forcing him to chew. “But don’t let me be the only one to savor them! Try this delicacy for yourself! You big fellows may enjoy it!” With that the badger shrieked and ran off, tail tucked between his legs.

“Now?” Frank asked his friend.

“Now,” Carl replied.

And so they charged. Gupta screamed as he ran for his life, his heart pumping with so much adrenaline—

Until he smacked into the side of a gigantopithecus. The ape turned his head, eyes narrowing at the smaller mammal. “Why you little—!” 

Gupta looked between the charging rhinos and the ape, forming a quick plan. He grabbed the ape’s arm and said quickly, “Pretend I’m invisible.”

Gutt raised an eyebrow before shoving him off. He looked ahead and then, he understood why the omnivore seemed so skittish.

“Aw man, I wanted to hit him at full speed!” Frank whined.

“That’s okay, Frank. We’ll have some fun with him,” Carl consoled his friend.

Gupta yelped and hid behind Gutt. “Don’t let them turn me into a fur scarf, please!” he begged the monkey. He held onto his back leg like a lifeline. “I wish to live to at least twenty-four more years!”

Gutt grabbed him by the scruff, glaring at the runt. “Hands off, rodent!” he hissed, then dropped him to the ground. He didn’t like being treated like a mere wall, made to protect — not when he didn’t know how to. Not when… no. He couldn’t dwell on that. He just had to get rid of this runt and the two rhinos and once he did, he could walk away from this all.

“Come on, you’re making a scene.”

“We’ll just take our little punching bag and go, if you don’t mind.”

Gupta tried to hide behind Gutt again, but the large herbivore stopped him. “Look, little guy, if you’re not going to face those horned freaks today… you’re gonna have to face someone even worse tomorrow.” He poked him. “Someone who’s gonna turn your skin into a nice little hat, or a cape.”

“I’d rather dodge any of those options,” Gupta squeaked, frightened by the idea of being killed by anybody at this point. “Understood? Okay, good!” He swore if he had drunk any water, he would've soiled himself by now.

“Look, we’re gonna break your neck so ya don’t feel a thing,” said Carl. “How’s that?” He sneered.

Gutt put his hand up. “Hold up. I thought you brontotherium were herbivores, just like I, a gigantopithecus am one,” he said slowly, his eyebrow raising. This was beginning to sound strange and rather…sadistic.

“Right you are!” Gupta said, raising a clawed finger in agreement.

“Shut your mouth! I wasn’t talking to you,” Gutt hissed at the small omnivore. The badger flinched and cowered behind the herbivore’s back.

“Who says we’re gonna eat him after we kill him?”

“Yeah, c'mon, move it.”

Gutt’s expression darkened. So they were sadistic. Oh he didn’t like that, not one bit, especially considering how they sounded no different than those damned hunters. The hunters who took away everything from him.

“Now, why should I show any form of mercy to fat tubs of lard who show none towards the weak?” he growled, holding up his hands and revealing his own set of claws. “Seems you don’t know who I am, so allow me to introduce myself: the name’s Gutt. And trust me, I didn’t get it because of this.” He gestured towards his stomach. “I got it ‘cause of these.” He held up his claws, baring his teeth.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah… save it for a mammal who cares,” Carl said dismissively.

“I’m a mammal who cares!” Gupta shot back, peeking out from behind the gigantopithecus.

Gutt glanced at the badger for a moment, then at the two rhinos. “Alright, let’s strike a deal – if you can make it across that sinkhole right in front of you…” He gestured to the sinkhole in question. “You get the badger. If you don’t, he’s coming with me.”

The badger in question hopped from behind Gutt to gloat. “That’s right, you little pansies! It was nice knowing you suckers!” He took a rock and tossed it towards the sinkhole, but it landed at the feet of the rhinos.

They glanced at the rock, then back at the badger and monkey.

Gupta gulped, looking up to the ape. “So you were bluffing?”

“No, I was being completely serious,” said Gutt in a sarcastic tone. He looked down at the badger and rolled his eyes when he noticed him giving a curious look. “Of course it was a bluff, moron!”

Gupta flinched. “Dutifully noted,” he said, then began to run.

“GET ‘EM!” shouted the rhinos.

With no hesitation, they sprinted towards them. Now feeling threatened, but not going down without a fight, Gutt glared angrily at the duo and stood his ground and prepared for a fight.  Carl and Frank tried to ram into the ape, but he quick to jump high up into the air, landing on Frank’s back where he grabbed his horns and proceeded to drag his claws across one, making the rhino shriek as small bits of his horn chipped and fell to the ground. He began to thrash around, trying to throw the ape off his back.

Meanwhile, Gupta had been behind the furred herbivore, but once he’d jumped onto Frank’s back, he’d been left cowering as Carl tried to close in on him. He shrieked as his back legs were now at the very edge of the cliff.

Hearing the badger’s shriek, Gutt hopped onto Carl’s back and hissed, “Let’s see how you feel getting picked on someone who’s not even your own size!” With that, he slashed his forehead with his nails. The other rhino yelled and ran off in the other direction, away from the cliff. As he’d begun running, the primate hopped off and watched as the brontotherium left.

“THAT MONKEY IS CRAZY!”

“NO WONDER HE’S THE LAST OF HIS KIND!”

Gutt huffed. Lily-livered cowards, he thought with a scowl. They acted tough but couldn’t handle real confrontation, a real fight. Figures. The most threatening-looking ones were always the kind who were nothing but spineless, pathetic weaklings inside. They wouldn’t last the winter, and if they did that was by sheer stupid luck – a luck he was never granted. No, unlike these idiots, he had to scrounge to get herbs and food, had to often get his hands dirty, had to—

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of cheering. He snapped out of it to see that the badger was running in circles with joy. Oh right, he was still there.

“We did it! Well actually, you did it, captain!” Gupta hugged the monkey’s chest.

Gutt stared. “Captain?”

Gupta looked up with a smile. “Since you were the one who led charge, I assumed that’d make you the leader—“ he started to explain, only to get cut off.

“Implying we’re even a pair to begin with?” Gutt snorted, backing away slightly. “Look, I was only—“

Suddenly, the ledge they stood on collapsed and both yelled for their lives. Thankfully, they slid down safely... surprisingly. Gutt's eyes were shut tightly, until they opened to peer up and see Gupta looked down at him from the top of his head.

"Your eyes look a bit tired," the chamitataxus remarked. "Perhaps you should get more sleep."

"Get off my head right now," ordered the gigantopithecus, eyes narrowed. He proceeded to shake him off. God, could he get some peace and solitude around here? It seemed like wherever he went, some idiot was always there. 

"You know, we make a good crew," Gupta began, an idea forming in his mind. If he traveled with the gigantopithecus, he'd be able to head south with ease. No threat or pain would befall him. He would survive and thrive. The ideal. "In my old country, we call it ek tarah se do. Two of a kind. In fact, why don't we both go south together? That's where you're headed, no?"

"Excellent idea you've got there," Gutt said sarcastically, eyes rolling again. "Just climb up on my back and you can ride there the whole way while I 'steer this ship' towards the southern seas, my scurvy friend." Of course that wasn't going to happen. He was a loner and it would stay that way.

Gupta's eyes brightened as he went to follow him. "Really?"

"That was sarcasm," Gutt told him. "This captain here has no crew." He gestured to himself. "He travels solo."

"But I thought captains needed crews," Gupta said, growing desperate. "Don't you have any migration instincts?"

"I do, actually! They just don't include badgers who like to stir the pot with rhinos," Gutt replied, growing more irritated by the second. Why couldn't this guy take the hint already? "Now if you excuse me, I must be on my way. Fare thee well, my good friend, or however you say it from whence you came." He waved a mock goodbye, before speeding up. 

Hearing Carl and Frank shouting from the cliff, Gupta raced to catch up to his savior. "Please, Captain Gutt! I- I don't have anywhere else to go! Those two want to skin me alive and my family's left me behind!" he cried out, fear pooling up inside him. If he didn't join this man, he'd be good as dead. A furry scarf hanging on a brontotherium horn. Or even worse, a saber's meal. He heard of how at night, packs of the large feline would come and snatch up any small mammals- rabbits, mice, badgers; it didn't matter. A meal was a meal to them. Gupta didn't want to become a saber's meal. 

Gutt turned to the badger for a moment, looking him over. It was clear that he was, by all intents, telling the truth. There seemed to be no one else of his kind around, appearing as if all the other chamitataxus migrated prior to him. And those rhinos clearly had some type of vendetta, a petty one at that. For an odd reason, the gigantopithecus felt pity for the runt. Perhaps it was due to him losing his own family that he could see where the badger was coming from, though he lacked the abandonment issues he did- but still, he understood his fears of being left alone. 

He was annoying, sure, but he didn't deserve to die alone, and it was clear he wasn't going to be able to fend for himself either. So the primate made a decision. "Fine, you can come along," he relented. Seeing the smaller mammal's eyes light up, he quickly put up a finger. "But if you want to follow me, just know you have to do your own part. I'll protect you, but you have to help me along the way. Deal?" He needed something in exchange. That was how the world worked. It wasn't an ideal bargain, but a bargain that was necessary nonetheless.

Gupta saluted him. "Aye aye, captain!" He went to walk side by side with him. "You know, I can see why they call you 'Gutt'," he remarked. "You're very sharp and cold, like a blade."

"You have to be in order to survive as long as I have," Gutt responded, eyes focused on the road before him. He thought of the past, how he ended up alone… and a frown formed on his face. His new companion didn't understand the true hardships of life, it seemed. He had yet to experience, had yet to live through what he had. Lucky, ignorant little… 

"Huh. Well anyhow, since I know your name, I should tell you mine," Gupta went on, a smile forming on his face as he raced ahead. He stood bipedal in front of his captain. "I'm Gupta! It means 'protector'," he explained. "Or 'governor', but since I was the firstborn, I think father and mother meant the first definition."

Gutt snorted. The badger's name was full of irony. "Funny, 'cause you're the one who needs protecting," he remarked, before walking ahead. 

"We all have issues around here," Gupta said with a shrug, continuing to follow the gigantopithecus. He wondered why he was so moody. Perhaps it was the tiredness? Or something else. He didn't know. "You clearly have something going on." 

"Which is none of your business."

"Alright, I'll shut my mouth. I know when I'm to be seen and not heard."

"I'd prefer you to not be seen either."

"Okay, I'll be so quiet that you won't notice!"

Near a waterfall, there was a village of a human tribe. There weren't many of the humans, but enough to fill up all the tents. The leader of the tribe was Runar, who was a compassionate, wise and stoic man who led his people through many valleys and forests, settling down at various sites until the seasons would change and they'd have to migrate.

Of course, along the way of each journey, there had been obstacles- hunger or lack of clothes were some of them. To make up for clothing shortage, sometimes Runar lead his men on hunting trips for certain types of mammals- the most recent hunting party involving a search for sabers. They had caught half of a pack of sabretooth tigers, slaying each of the beasts and using their fur as coats. Some of the teeth were harvested for weapons or knives, or as a necklace. It was a bit cruel, the leader of the human tribe knew this, but it had to be done for his people's survival. 

Right now, he and his men had made a campsite near the waterfall. Around the campfire, he ate freshly cooked fish and spoke with his fellow hunters for a while. But when he glanced to his side, he saw his wife Nadia emerge from their tent, carrying their son.

He walked away from the campfire to join his family, brushing his hand on little Roshan's cheek. The baby gurgled. Nadia smiled and placed him down on the ground. "Look," she said to her husband. 

Roshan squealed as he stood on his legs, wobbling slightly. Runar held his arms out wide. Seeing his father do this, Roshan tried to move forward, but stumbled, falling into his father's arms. 

"It's alright, my son," Runar said softly as he held his baby. "You'll learn eventually." For now, he was content and proud of the fact he had the boy. He nuzzled his nose against the infant's, then bounced him all while his wife laughed and looked on happily.

From a distance, two sabers looked over the village, watching the family. The first was thickly-built with a dark orange pelt and green eyes, his name being Soto. He was the leader of the saber-tooth pack. Standing beside him was a female saber, more thin but still baring a good compact build with powerful legs. Her fangs were shorter, not as sharp as any of the males in her pack. But what stood out most about her was her fur color. She wasn’t orange like all the other sabers, but rather white furred with dark grey stripes, almost silver, and her eyes were a vivid teal. Her ear had a piercing in it, most likely from a human’s failed attempt on her life.

The female’s name was Shira, lieutenant of the saber-tooth pack.

“Aw, look at the cute little baby, Shira,” Soto remarked, eyes focusing on the human infant as he stood high from his perch. He looked to his lieutenant. “Isn’t it nice she’ll be joining us for breakfast?”

Shira glanced at her leader. “Wouldn’t be breakfast without the pipsqueak now, would it?” she responded rhetorically.

“Right you are,” Soto agreed. “Especially after his daddy wiped out half our pack.” These words were spoken in a snarl, the memories of the injustice boiling up, ready to blow like a volcano. So many friends and family lost to those damn hunters, and to think that he and the remainder of the pack barely escaped with their lives… “And wears our skin to keep warm…” His eyes met Shira’s. “An eye for an eye, don’t you think?”

Shira growled, her claws starting to unsheathe slightly as she recalled the hunters’ attack on their old campsite. Amongst the slain members of the pack, her parents had been the biggest loss, at least for her. Fellow white furred sabers, a rarity and even more of a delicacy for those humans, who had been cornered in their own dens and slaughtered for the sake of a simple coat – a coat that the tribal leader’s wife was wearing.

The female saber had been lucky to only escape with a mere scratch, but to see her parents’ corpses hauled off by their killers – it had been enough to cement a craving for the carcasses of these monsters. To hunt down every single one of them like they’d done to her kind, to her father and mother, to show them the pain they had inflicted upon the sabers – and she would gladly follow Soto’s orders and go for the weakest spot, where it would hurt the most.

Their precious child.

An eye for an eye, indeed. It was no wonder that Soto had been selected as the leader, for his ideas were truly remarkable, and this was no exception. Shira was proud to be his lieutenant, holding this position close and dear to her, no matter how harsh he could be at times. After all, it was he who provided for the pack the most, he who knew what was best, and it would be him that she pledged her loyalty to.

“We’ll show that two-legged freak what happens when he messes with our pack,” Shira snarled, ready to get her vengeance.

Soto smirked. “Then you know what to do. Alert the troops,” he ordered. “We attack at dawn.”

Shira nodded. “Yes, will do.” She went to carry out her orders, but stopped when Soto placed a paw in front of her. She looked at him, their eyes meeting once again.

“And Shira: bring me that baby… alive,” he whispered to her. A cruel smile made its way across his face. “If I’m going to enjoy revenge, I want it to be a dish served fresh. Do you think you can manage that?”

Shira glanced down at the family again, then looked back at the male saber and nodded. “Leave the baby to me, and I’ll bring him alive… ripe for the killing.”

Soto grinned, showing all his sharp teeth. “Wonderful. Such a good girl,” he praised. “Your parents would’ve been proud.”

Shira paused, trying to hold back an ugly sound in her throat as she remembered her parents – her father especially, who taught her how to hunt and fight, to fend for herself when needed. She recalled that he never liked mindless killing, especially not of this kind… but she could only pray that if he was watching her from the other side, he would understand. That he would be proud.

Shaking these thoughts aside, she quickly uttered “of course” and then went to alert the pack. On the way, she caught a glimpse of the human leader’s wife heading inside the tent with her husband and son, and an ugly feeling swelled up inside her chest.

How come the humans could live so peaceful and serene, while the sabers had to endure hardships? It was unfair. But come dawn, they too would experience hardships – they would know the pain that befell the sabers they slaughtered.

Mark her words. They would all pay.

Chapter Text

Gutt carried a bunch of wood towards a vacant area, which he claimed as a campsite. He set all the wood down. Behind him was Gupta, dragging a long stick in his hands. “I’m so tired,” yawned the badger, setting down his stick.

“Do you really expect to build a shelter with that?” Gutt asked in a deadpan tone, eyes looking at the chamitataxus with disbelief. 

“Hey, you’re pretty huge, so you get a lot of wood. But I’m much smaller,” Gupta explained, a little defensive. He didn’t like being criticized this way.

Gutt stared. “That’s a stick.”

“Yeah, but with this stick,” Gupta began, holding it up, “and my fairly-sized brain, I can create fire!” 

“What a brilliant idea you have there,” said Gutt, rolling his eyes. Obviously, he didn’t mean it, but who was he to take away the fun? At least it meant he wasn’t going to have to share a sleeping spot with the runt. So he began to build a shelter by himself, setting up a roof near some large rocks. 

“Brains usually win over brawn, you know,” Gupta remarked, then began to work with his stick, snapping it in half. “But by all means, I wish you good luck, captain.”

–0– 

An hour passed. 

Gupta was still rubbing two ends of the stick together, desperately trying to make a fire as rain poured. His fur was soaking wet by now. 

Gutt watched from under his wooden shelter, amused. Sure there was some pity, but the guy was an idiot and one could only marvel at his persistence. “I saw a flicker there,” he joked. 

Gupta looked to see if that was true, only to deflate when he realized it wasn’t. He looked to the gigantopithecus. “Can I join you in there, captain?”

Gutt sighed. He was already regretting letting this guy come along. Damn his pity… “Fine, but if you make any noises while I’m sleeping, you’re sleeping outside.” The badger owed him a lot. “And you’re gonna have to start paying your end of this deal soon,” he reminded him.

Gupta beamed. “Understood, captain!” he saluted the gigantopithecus again. The chamitataxus made his way into the wooden hut where he easily settled in his own corner, thanks to his size. “You know, my family members never let me sleep beside them.” 

Gutt raised a brow. He wondered… “How come your family left you?” he asked. Most mammal family units wouldn’t leave a single member behind, especially not an omnivore or herbivore family. So why did the chamitataxus get the short end of the stick?

“They do it every year since we left our old continent,” Gupta explained, shrugging. A bittersweet smile made its way across his face as he recalled the previous years. “Last year, they actually gagged me with a small shell of a snail, tying me to my bed with vines. The vines grew thin by the third attempt I made to escape and I was able to crack the shell, but my teeth got really crooked for a while. And by the time I got loose, the burrow had a rock put over the entrance so I had to trick some mammoth teenagers to help me. I gave her a peach in return.” He nuzzled into the gigantopithecus’ furry side like it was a grassy pillow. “But of course, they also covered their tracks and disguised their scent by going into ponds and…” He sighed. “Ah, who needs them? They’re all jhatake.”

Gutt felt a pang of sympathy for the badger. He couldn’t imagine the pain of experiencing abandonment of such extremes, every single year. If he were in the badger’s position, he would’ve gone insane. “That’s terrible.” 

Gupta shrugged. “It is, but I’m used to it.” He looked up at the ape. “So what about your family? Did they leave you, too?”

Gutt tensed up at this question, visibly flinching. “That’s none of your business,” he breathed, eyes hard and narrow. What happened to his family was no one’s concern. He wouldn’t understand. They didn’t leave with a choice, thought the ape, remembering that day clearly, vividly even if it had been long ago. They were… he turned his head away, resting it in his arms as he curled up to rest. It had been a long day and he didn’t need to dwell on this, not when there was a lot that would happen tomorrow, no doubt. He was tired and needed his rest. So he closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep…even as memories plagued his thoughts.

Why… why did you have to go? Why did I survive? 

Gupta didn’t understand the coldness of his captain. “Alright,” he sighed again. “We’ll talk about it in the morning then.” He looked out and saw that it was now raining ice. “Huh, I didn’t know ice could fall from the sky,” he remarked, astonished. He felt a breeze of cold air squeeze in, and he shivered and yelped, hearing thunder as well. He buried himself into the monkey’s sides. 

“G-goodnight, Captain Gutt…”

With that, the badger closed his eyes and tried to sleep. He was more lucky, as his dreams weren’t plagued with so many melancholic questions. Only simple thoughts of a warm paradise awaiting him in the south were present.

Scratte struggled to get her acorn up the tree. It nearly fell off her muzzle a few times, and she had to catch it in her mouth. She struggled to remain steady. 

She pushed the acorn up with her nose, finally lodging it in a hole before scrambling to get in. She got to the top of the tree, ecstatic —

Only to get struck by lightning. The acorn fell out of her hand.

She groaned. Damn it!

It was dawn now. Soto was at his perch watching as the village’s campfire finally went out. Smoke rose up into the air. Perfect.

Shira hopped up onto the perch, before ascending down alongside the leader and the pack as the sabers all prepared for the attack. Soon, she would avenge her parents’ deaths.

Soon, every fallen pack member would be avenged. 

The canines that guarded the campsite were asleep, but awoke to the sounds of footsteps – the unrecognizable footsteps of sabers. The canines growled, sensing an intrusion.

The sabers picked up their pace, now charging. The canines barked loudly, trying to alert the humans.

In his tent, Runar slept beside Nadia. But hearing the sounds of the dogs barking, he woke up and realized a threat was near. Instantly, the instinct to protect his wife, his child and his tribe overwhelmed him and he quickly grabbed his spear and left the tent to gather his hunters. 

His men left their tents soon after, carrying their own spears. They all were prepared to defend the camp with their lives, especially once they saw it was the sabers charging towards them, led by Soto. 

Soto leapt at Runar, roaring loudly, but the human threw the saber off. Each of the pack leapt at the hunters and began to battle with them. All except for one. 

Shira, her fur white as snow and the only female of her pack, was able to slip away from the fight with ease. It seemed the hunters were so occupied with everyone else, they forgot about her, which worked in her favor as she had a mission. And she went to the main hunter’s tent with the intent of carrying out said mission. 

She peered her head into the entrance, seeing the baby resting in his little bed, all swaddled up in a blanket. How touching, she thought. Sadly this wouldn’t last for long. Sorry kid, but orders are orders. So she went to collect the child. The father was out fighting Soto and probably wouldn’t last much longer, and the mother was nowhere to be found…

Or so she assumed. A little too quickly, as once she came near the baby’s bed, the mother of the child snatched him up into her arms, gasping with fright. 

Shira chuckled. How cute. She cornered the pathetic human, ready to pounce on her for a quick kill—

Only to get struck on the head with the human female’s club. 

Nadia ran out of the tent, a wailing Roshan in her arms. “Runar!” she yelled for her husband. They had to get out of here, to protect Roshan! She knew from the way the white saber had eyed her baby, that the pack had come for him . Judging from the female’s fur, similar to the coat Runar had given her… it was for vengeance. 

But Nadia wouldn’t let her son be killed. He was innocent. He didn’t do anything… and he’d only just been born eight months ago! He deserved a chance at life, just as she’d been given – just as anyone else. So she would do anything to keep him alive. 

She looked to see the white saber emerging from the cave, recovered from the blow she’d given it. Seeing the murderous look in the fanged feline’s eyes, she ran not for her life, but for Roshan’s, shrieking loudly as the creature roared.

“RUNAR!”

Runar turned and saw a white saberess chasing his wife. He rushed to help, to strike it with his spear, but the leading saber, fur orange in contrast, blocked the human’s path. The saber leader roared, and several other sabers flocked to his side. 

Runar was cornered. He looked ahead at the disappearing form of his wife. 

–0– 

Nadia looked behind her, her fear growing each second as she saw the saberess was advancing. She ran to the edge of the cliff near the waterfall, but saberess blocked her path. She gasped, holding Roshan close to her.

Shira’s eyes narrowed. She had chased gazelles that were easier to kill than this human. She roared and tried to take the baby, but only managed to snag the mother’s necklace… made from the teeth of her fallen brethren and parents. She snarled in anger, rage blinding her as she ripped it apart. 

Nadia rushed to a lower area, where the water began – the ‘river’ as she called it. But quickly, the saberess met her there too. A persistent one, but a mother’s instincts were stronger. She kept running as fast as she could, water splashing. 

Shira chased the human up onto a rock. She smirked, knowing she had the mother cornered. There was only one way out for her now, and that was giving up the baby. This job was easier than the feline had thought. She honestly assumed that —

The human female looked at her infant, giving him a loving stare that only a certain type would recognize. Shira froze, remembering how her own mother once looked at her like that. How her mother once embraced her in a similar manner when she was a cub, and… 

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Nadia jumped suddenly. Shira could only watch as the mother fell, her son clutched tight in her arms, disappearing into the waterfall. The saber clenched her teeth. She would have to find the two, or else she was as good as dead.

No one failed Soto. And if they did, they never lived to tell the tale. 

Shira wasn’t an idiot. Her position didn’t spare her and she was easily replaceable, especially as a female. And as a female, she could face an even worse situation than those who crossed Soto prior, all male. To be forcibly taken, possibly in front of all the other boys… she shuddered at the thought.

So she ran back to tell her leader of her new mission.

To get that baby.

–0–

The hunters untied their dogs from their posts, setting the prehistoric canines upon the saber pack. Zeke, Oscar and Lenny tried to fight them off, but to no avail. The strength of the angered mutts outweighed that of the sabers.

When Soto saw Shira running towards them, he assumed she had the baby. She was smart. She wouldn’t disappoint him or disobey him. He knew this all too well. “There’s Shira! Fall back!” he ordered the pack.

Following the order, the sabers followed Soto towards Shira. Upon reaching him, the pack stopped. “Where’s the baby?” asked the leader.

“I – I lost him over the falls,” Shira said, dejected and afraid to meet his eyes. She looked down as she went on, “Its stupid mother jumped before I could—”

“You lost it?” snarled Soto, while the rest of the pack gasped. He wanted to strike her across the face, but before he could do so, a spear shot near him. 

He looked over his shoulder to see the human tribe advancing. The sabers all ran up the cliff. While running, he hissed to his lieutenant, “I want that baby, Shira!”

“And I’ll get it!” Shira promised. 

“You’d better, unless you want to serve as a replacement,” Soto threatened her. “White fur isn’t common, and your use as a female can be expanded on in ways you’re not ready for.  That pretty face of yours won’t do you any good in the long run.” He sneered, relishing in seeing her flinch and cower back. “Know that your title as lieutenant can be given to someone else. You’re nothing special.” He looked to the other sabers. “We’ll go up to Half Peak.” Then he said to Shira, “Meet us there. It had better be alive.” He then ran ahead.

Oscar smirked and got in front of Shira. “Can we trust you with that, Snow White?” he taunted her. 

Shira growled. They never got along, even as cubs. Things hadn’t changed much even as adults – in fact, their relations only worsened. He was always jealous she had a higher position. After all, females in packs usually didn’t get such luxuries, especially not those belonging to the white-furred subspecies, so he often questioned what made her so special. 

“Let’s go!”

Oscar went to join the rest of the pack.  Shira went to search for the human mother and child, rushing down the side of the cliff to the bottom of the waterfall. 

Meanwhile, the hunting dogs sniffed for Nadia, and found her necklace – or what remained of it. Runar gasped and picked it up. “Nadia… Roshan…” He looked ahead to see the disappearing forms of the saber park, all but the white female. “You…!” He ran after them, set on trying to avenge his family. 

And once he was rid of the orange ones, he’d find the white one and make a coat of her, just like he’d done with her predecessors. For Nadia, and for Roshan.

Gutt and Gupta walked through the woods, each taking a bite from their own apples. Gupta had gone on to do a part of his end of the deal, knowing he owed the gigantopithecus for rescuing him. So he went to scrounge for food, finding a tree of ripe apples. Together they ate while the badger went on about something, though the monkey was paying half-attention to it as he ate his food.

“She yanked some fur off my shoulder and said, ‘Look, if you’re trying to court me, you’re going to have to clean that coat up better.’ And I was like, ‘Vaah! vahaan dheema!’ You know what I mean?”

Gutt finished his bite of apple, and looked to the badger with a skeptical expression. “So you had a chance to mate in life, and you chose not to? You should be grateful to even have had a chance to start a family!” He felt his voice raise, anger building up inside him. He knew it was dumb, but he couldn’t help it, not when…

Gupta shrugged it off. “I’m aware, but well… I don’t know… I’ve never thought of mating with life with another badger. It sounds dumb to settle down with someone just because they’re the same species.” He sighed. “There’s so much waiting for me out there, and I’m expected to—“

He bumped into Gutt’s rear end. He shook his head and looked at the gigantopithecus, confused. “Captain? Why did you stop?” He crawled beneath him, looking up to face him. “Captain?”

“Look,” Gutt whispered, pointing ahead. “Avast your eyes.”

Gupta did as he was told, gasping when he saw the exact thing Gutt was staring at.

On a log near the shore, a human woman held onto the wood with one arm while her other was occupied with a bundle. Something important must have been inside it, for she seemed so focused on it with such care in her eyes that her own health was neglected. She looked tired, exhausted, and her neck was bruised. Pale and wan, nearly lifeless, only clinging onto said life for the sake of what she held.

Nadia looked up, her eyes meeting Gutt’s. For a moment, they stared at each other, until the human pulled herself, using the last of her strength to get to the rocks on shore. She gripped it best as she could, and tried to push Roshan up onto it. He could be safe with the gigantopithecus. They were herbivores, she knew. In her old village, there had been a bunch of the mighty apes, and all of them were peaceful. They never attacked, never – probably because they were never provoked by anybody, but still. She fondly remembered seeing some younger ones snatch bananas from her mother’s basket. Her father playfully calling to one. And she knew, somehow, that this one would protect her son – an instinct, she supposed.

A last minute one, because she knew her time on this earth was up. The fall had done it for her, her spine in shock still – but thankfully, she was able to move. She tried to survive only for a little while longer to keep her son from drowning and now, to see that he would be safe, and if it meant leaving him with a gigantopithecus and a chamitataxus… so be it.

Gutt moved towards the bundle, carefully picking it up in his arms and cradling it the best he could. He never held such precious cargo before, but he did the best he could from having seen the way the human do so. His eyes met hers again as she looked up at him, and his heart nearly stopped when he heard her utter in a weak voice…

“Thank you.”

Her eyes shut, as if finally at peace. He glanced down at the bundle again, seeing that the baby inside was waking up. The child blinked up at the ape, cooing despite being soaking wet. Gupta moved closer to get a look, eyes wide and a smile forming. “Look at that,” he marveled. “The child is alright – more than that, he’s alive!”

The infant smiled at the two mammals. Gupta looked ahead, gasping as he saw the mother’s lifeless form being swept away by the current. “Captain, she’s going down the river!”

Gutt’s eyes widened as they traveled to see the corpse going down the stream, and it hit him. This child’s mother sacrificed her life, possibly against some predator who attacked her village, to save her son’s. That was why she placed him near the ape – to keep him from drowning or being devoured by a predator. That was why she looked so tired, so weak… she fought tooth and nail, using every single bit of her life force to preserve the child’s life.

His heart tightened and he remembered his own mother, strong and caring. How she fought predators to keep him from being snatched away, from becoming someone else’s meal… he supposed humans weren’t too different. Not all of them were barbaric, life-destroying—

No. Gutt shook his head. He couldn’t… he couldn’t do this. He put the baby down and started walking away. "Come on, Gupta."

“Captain Gutt, you’re – you’re forgetting something!” Gupta said, concerned as he struggled to pick up the child. His own instincts kicked in, and he mustered enough strength to hold the baby. He’d taken care of his brothers when they’d been much younger, often when his father and mother went out to fetch food, the latter having waned too quickly. Besides, he couldn’t leave the kid, not when the mother was dead and he was defenseless. He would die if… he shook that thought aside. “I mean, you just saved him!”

“Yeah well when I take those I save along with me, I tend to leave out humans,” Gutt spat, heart twisting as he remembered his mother. She held him many times like that human held her child… but remembering how his mother had died, he wondered: why should he take care of the little thing when its people were the reason his mother was gone? That he was prevented from having his own offspring? “Gupta, we’re leaving. Now,” he ordered through clenched teeth.

“With all due respect, captain, we’re not leaving him here!” Gupta began to look around, searching for any signs of a human campsite. His eyes settled upon a place atop the hill with rising smoke. “Look! Up the hill, there’s smoke, and where there’s smoke, there’s a village!” He went up to the ape. “We can return him—”

Gutt turned around and shouted, “Just because I saved you doesn’t mean I’m turning into a charity case! You still owe me for saving your behind, and that little pink thing can’t pay me anything in return!”

Gupta flinched and the baby whined in his arms. The badger wondered what had the ape so upset. “It’s – it’s just up the hill, captain.” Really, it would be a quick mission – return the child, and then they could move on. It seemed so simple and yet…

“Listen carefully, you omnivorous runt,” Gutt hissed, jerking a finger at the badger. “If you want to go on your own mission to return the brat, by all means… go. But as for this captain—“ he gestured to himself “—his ship will steer the other direction. One without humans.”

Gupta’s eyes narrowed. “Fine, us raaste chalen! Scurvy scoundrel!” He huffed and went to go up the hill. He supposed he would have to do this alone then… good riddance, he guessed. If Gutt was going to be a jerk, he’d simply help the baby on his own. “I’ll take care of the baby.”

“Right, right… says the guy who’s name means protector and he can’t even defend himself!” yelled the gigantopithecus, frustrated as he followed. God, how did he get himself into this? All he wanted to do was simply go south so he could— nevermind. “This will be quite a sight.”

“I’ll return you,” Gupta cooed to the human infant, which he took to calling 'Roshan' in his mind. The kid looked like a Roshan. “We don’t need that mean old monkey, do we, Roshan? No, we don’t.” Well, he did, but for now he didn’t. Not during this mission. He looked up the waterfall.

Gutt looked up as well. Maybe the mother had fallen up from there… but how? Had she been cornered by predators, hunters of a different species? Had she been forced to jump and while drowning, pushed her child up so he could breathe while her lungs filled with water? He wondered… and then smacked himself upside the head. Get a hold of yourself, he scolded himself. They're humans. Humans killed your …

His eyes caught sight of the badger climbing up the rocks, his teeth gripping the cloth of the baby's blanket. "Gupta, you idiot, what are you doing?!"

Gupta struggled to get onto a ledge, the weight of the child slowing him down. But he had to get up there, for the baby's sake. So he lied: "This is a piece of cake!" He whimpered quietly to himself, "I'm going to die like the mother did, aren't I?" At least it'd be a noble way to go out, trying to help the little one. Still, not ideal in the slightest. The kid didn't need another protector dying.

His heart nearly stopped when he felt the cloth tear, and the baby slowly slip out of the blanket. When his hand touched the top ledge, Roshan fell out entirely and Gupta scrambled to grab the child with one of his hind legs.

Gutt’s eyes widened. Oh no.

“CAPTAIN!”

As Roshan fell from Gupta’s hold, Gutt quickly held his arms out to catch the child —

But in the blink of an eye and a quick roar, the baby was snatched up by a female saber with fur as white as snow. The saberess held the child by the scruff of his little shirt, ready to leave, only to receive a smack upside the head and a shove so harsh, she let go of the baby.

Gutt quickly took the baby into his arms, holding him protectively. It didn’t matter at this point if he was human or not — he didn’t deserve to become a saber’s meal. The gigantopithecus’ past be damned; he’d help this child get back to his home… only because he deserved to have a family. To have what the ape was deprived of.

Perhaps, he had his own instincts, even after his wife had— after their child had —

The saber growled, trying to appear tough. Gutt raised his claws, ready to slice if needed. She cowered at this, trying to compose herself. “Ahem,” she cleared her throat. “That little squirt you hold there? It’s mine. I’d like it back, please.” She made big eyes to try and persuade the monkey.

“Really now? Then how come he has none of your odor on him?” asked Gutt, doubtful. He held the child closer. “You know, us monkeys happen to be one of the more intelligent species. And I’m not someone you can con easily.”

Gupta climbed down. “Besides, we found the child first, so he belongs to us.” He landed on his feet, trying to appear proud and mighty.

“Us? Oh, how cute… a monkey and a badger trying to raise a human together,” Shira taunted. “Such a bizarrely adorable family…”

“We’re not a family!” Gutt bellowed at the badger.

“I see what’s going on,” Shira remarked, a smirk on her face. “Can’t find actual mates so you take some orphan in. Sounds like the start of a bad joke.”

“Look, I apologize for interrupting your meal and all,” Gupta began, picking up Roshan, who had squirmed out of Gutt’s hold. “But we must leave now.”

“The baby—” Shira hopped off the rock she stood on, getting closer to the other mammals. “I was going to return him to his herd.”

“Ah yes, I believe you, miss kitty,” Gupta said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Did she really expect him to believe her? What, did she take him for a fool?

Shira pounced in front of him, landing only meters away. “Don’t… call me kitty,” she hissed in his face, their muzzles just seconds away from touching. “Or a liar.”

Gupta visibly flinched and scrambled to lie in his defense. A bizarre sensation jolted up his spine as he stood bipedal, his throat suddenly dry and his face strangely warm. Feeling her breath, it made him feel so… he didn’t know how to describe it, but it was unlike any other feeling he’d had when encountering a female. “I – I wasn’t saying you were lying,” he lied. Okay, he might have implied it, but it was more so a thought than wording.

“You thought of it. Your wording alone implied it,” Shira pointed out.

Gupta gulped again. “Captain, this cat is terrifying,” he whispered, glancing back at Gutt. “She senses things.”

Shira rolled her eyes. What an idiot, she thought, wondering how the badger survived past infancy. She looked to the gigantopithecus, who seemed to have a somewhat functioning brain. “My name’s Shira,” she introduced herself, trying to sound curtly. “What’s yours, pal?”

“Gutt,” replied the gigantopithecus. His eyes narrowed. “And there is no ‘pals’. We are not part of the same crew. We are not family. You are an unwelcome stranger intruding upon my life.”

Shira’s eyes narrowed. How shrewd. “Fine, Gutt…” She eyed the baby in Gupta’s arms. Her blue eyes traveled back to the monkey. “Don’t bother looking for the humans. They left around the time the sun rose,” she informed him, thinking he’d hand over the baby.

“Thanks for the information. It’ll be of good use,” Gutt spoke faux-sweetly, batting his eyes for a second before returning to a harsh glare. “Now beat it, tigress. Go hunt down some antelope or whatever it is you cats are good at.” He waved her off and went to the badger. “Alright Gupta, I’ll help you on your little rescue mission… but once that’s done with, we move on and disband this two-man crew once we reach the south.” There was so much to do, and he wondered how this kept happening to him of all mammals.

“Okay, deal,” Gupta agreed, walking alongside Gutt as they tried the other way up the hill. In hindsight, he should’ve tried that from the start. Either way, he was glad to be away from the saber… she gave him weird feelings. “But what is your problem?”

“You are.”

“That’s rude.”

“Get used to it. Not everybody’s barfing sunshine like you. Some folks have scurvy.”

“You have too much scurvy. Perhaps you should try some lemons. They’ll make you feel better.”

“It’s a metaphor, you moron!”

Shira growled as her eyes met Roshan’s, who gurgled and waved at her. Then, she went off in her own direction.

She had to get the baby, or else she was doomed.

“What are you doing? Just place him down. He’s old enough to crawl.”

Roshan was tossed up onto the ledge. He squealed and crawled towards the campsite.

“Shouldn’t we make sure they see him?”

“Smart idea, Gupta.”

“…I don’t like that look you’re making… WAIT NO, DON’T—!!”

Gupta shrieked as he was tossed up onto the ledge, a few meters in front of Roshan who was still crawling. He pulled his hands over his face to protect himself from spears. “DON’T KILL ME PLEASE!” he begged. He peeked through his fingers. “Oh. Oh, this is bad, very bad.”

Gutt climbed up onto the ledge. “Now what?” He pinched the bridge of his muzzle when he saw the village was abandoned. “Perfect — land ho, but everyone’s not home!”

Roshan crawled beneath a washing line, falling into a basket. Gupta rushed after him. “Hey!” He tumbled into a fishing basket soon after, and snagged a small morsel to eat.

Gutt trudged through the torn tents and remnants of what used to be a campfire, stopping when he saw Roshan cuddling what appeared to be his old bed. The baby smiled up at the ape, whose eyes shone for a bit, a warm feeling surging through him until the infant stumbled back into a large fruit basket. I could’ve had my own, the gigantopithecus lamented.

Shira stepped forward. “I told you they were gone.”

“Well speak of the succubus herself!” Gutt said, unamused. “Don’t you have some poor defenseless rabbits to skin alive? Some mice to blind before you rip them apart? I’d reckon that’d be better use of your time than burdening us with your worthless quips, now.”

“They can’t be too far from here,” Gupta said, looking at the footprints left behind. “With all of these left around, it appears they’ve gone in circles… so maybe they’re an hour from here?” He licked the ground, wincing at the taste but noting, “It appears so.”

“That isn’t how tracking works,” Shira said, scoffing. “I thought badgers were omnivores. Don’t you hunt your prey?”

“We do, sometimes, but it’s usually easy meals,” said Gupta, shrugging as he popped a fish into his mouth. “Doesn’t take much to track a fish or bugs.”

Shira rolled her eyes, then looked to Gutt. “They went north two hours ago. So you can still get hot on their trail.” When the monkey gave her a skeptical ‘how do you know’ look, she elaborated, “The ground’s still green. Humans do this gardening thing. If the plants here aren’t wilted, it means they left recently.”

Gupta stared at the plants, noticing the saber was right. “For a kit— a large cat, you’re very smart,” he told her, filled with a strange admiration. Carnivores usually weren’t this well-versed in herbs, but this one — she knew her stuff. Smart girl.

Roshan giggled and leaned on a stick, which flung a fish onto Gutt’s forehead. His eyes narrowed and he pulled the fish off, tossing it away.

Shira went up to the baby, pulling it to her with her paws. “Trust me, you don’t want this little rascal. He’ll only slow you down. Best to leave him to me.” She grinned, her teal eyes shining with mischievous intent. “I can track humans better than your little crew can.”

Gutt yanked the baby away from the white-furred feline, glaring daggers at her. “Oh so you’re a soft little kitty cat who wants to do the right thing?” he taunted her, sarcasm dripping in his tone. “Such a wonderful lass!”

“I know where the humans are actually headed,” hissed Shira, her mouth curled into a sneer. “Unlike you.” She yanked the child back by his shirt. “And don’t call me kitty!”

“Glacier Pass,” Gutt stated as he looked ahead to the destination, far away. “Everybody knows that human tribes have settlements on the other side.” Not a smart choice, considering it was easier to freeze to death there, but it definitely kept predators — like sabertooths — away. The gigantopithecus took the child into his arms, away from the smilodon.

“Unless you have what it takes to track down the tribe… you won’t be able to reach them before snow closes up the passage.” Shira grinned, knowing she got him right where she wanted him. Monkeys were smart, sure, but she was smarter and more cunning — and that was what got her position of lieutenant. And she’d keep that position, keep her life, even if it meant playing around with these freaks. “Which will happen by, oh I don’t know, tomorrow if my hypothesis is correct…”

Gutt glared, ready to make a callous reply, only to realize the feline was right. The gigantopithecus froze, knowing that there weren’t any options left. He couldn’t track to save his own skin — even being part of the most intelligent species alive, he still had his limitations, thanks to his status of herbivore. He cursed silently, knowing she was right. What was he going to do? He couldn’t let her take the baby… she’d just make him her lunch. But if he went out to search for the humans, he and Gupta would freeze to death in a blizzard.

In the end, there was only one option.

“Let’s make a deal,” Shira began, raising a paw. “I’m a tracker. If you let me travel with your scurvy crew—” she made a gesture with her paw “—I can get you to the pass before the snow blocks it up. But if not…” She shrugged. “Have fun getting lost in the blizzard. I’m sure junior over there’s gonna love the snow. In the end, it’s your choice~”

Gutt thought for a moment, then sighed and picked up the baby, handing it to Gupta. “Here’s your little cub,” he told him. “Now let’s leave. We’ve got to return it to the humans.”

Gupta cooed at Roshan, then looked at Shira. His legs trembled for some reason, but he tried to sound cool and calm as he said, “It was nice knowing you, kitty— I mean, Shira. But we must be going now.” He patted her nose with his free hand. “Sorry to leave you behind, but alas…” He put his hand over his chest dramatically. The feline’s eyes narrowed at him, one of her brows raising in slight confusion.

“Gupta, the kitten’s going with us,” Gutt informed him bluntly. “She’s gonna lead the way.”

Gupta’s eyes widened. Shira smirked at the badger, their eyes meeting briefly. The chamitataxus grinned nervously at the smilodon before rushing to the gigantopithecus to get a word with him. “Captain, um, I’d like to talk with you for a quick second—”

“I don’t want to hear any complaints from you!” Gutt exclaimed, tired. “We’re getting to those humans and as soon as the human kid’s out of my hair, you’ll be out of my hair too! And then I can go back to my one-man crew…” He went ahead, leaving the badger to stand there, stunned.

Shira took a few steps forward towards the chamitataxus. “Your name’s Gupta, right?” she asked. He nodded. She gave her own nod before she continued, “Listen, your captain over there? He’s not gonna be around to keep you from being turned into a skull flag for long. When he abandons ship, I suggest you keep an eye out for yourself…” She got close enough to whisper into his ear, “Because if you don’t watch your back, it might be me who’ll chew on it.”

“Hey, tracker cat! Up front where I can keep a close eye on you at all times. Don’t want any mutiny,” Gutt called out to the saber.

The smilodon yelled back, “Coming!” She looked at the chamitataxus again. “Remember what I said, Gupta.” With that, she ran ahead.

Gupta blinked, staring at the saber’s form for a second. Then he gulped. He felt scared yet strangely… aroused? He didn’t understand why but she sparked something inside him. She was scary but in a strange way, alluring too. He should’ve just been horrified. Should’ve been screaming or whimpering. But no, he felt a hot sensation in his body. His heart beat rapidly but not out of fear, but out of interest.

Shira was white like snow, yet burned like hot coals. Her stripes were black, like the night sky, dark and beautiful and mysterious. Her eyes were blue like the waters, calm yet deep. Her personality was brash, cold, cunning and yet the badger sensed a passion within her along with something else — an untapped potential, perhaps.

A smile made its way across Gupta’s face as he watched the saber walk in front of the crew, her hips seemingly swaying with each step.

Yes, Shira’s color, though uncommon in her species, suited her. It fit her perfectly.

Chapter Text

Hours passed since Gutt, Shira and Gupta went on their journey. For the past couple of hours, Roshan had been wailing. By each second, the gigantopithecus and saber were getting more agitated while the badger grew more tired.

Gutt tried to cover his ears to block out the noise, but it was for naught. "Gupta, get that baby to quiet down!" he groaned, his head aching. "My ears are bleeding…!"

"I've eaten antelopes that didn't scream this loudly," Shira muttered in irritation. "Even Oscar didn't whine this much…" She scowled, remembering her rival. Oscar was always the whiny one, complaining and crying about everything – and whenever she would do so much as lightly shove him or tell him to shut up, he'd tattle on her. Soto on the other hand was more quiet, more…strange, though still harsh even then.

"Remember, this is our secret hideout."

"Right."

A claw unsheathed, pressing on the white cub's paw. "And if you tell anybody…you'll be sorry."

A gulp. "Understood."

But they were just kids. He didn't want to get in trouble, she rationalized in her mind. At least he was more tolerable than this pink thing that wailed and whined and sobbed constantly, seemingly endless with its tears. He never cried. Just acted odd.

"Roshan, please stop squirming," Gupta begged as he tried to settle the baby down, keep him from flailing his arms, but to no avail.

Shira looked over to the badger, eyes narrowing. She remembered how her mother once held her, and it was nowhere near as amateur and irresponsible. "You're holding it the wrong way!" she barked.

Gutt turned and noticed the same thing. "You idiot, you're supposed to balance its head or else—!"

"I haven't held a human baby before, okay?!" Gupta cried, feeling overwhelmed. "I've only taken care of my younger brothers and sisters!"

"If you've taken care of your siblings, you should have a smidge of understanding on how to take care of Pinkster here," Shira remarked coldly, then gestured to a rock. "Put him down. Let's see what's wrong with him."

Gupta sighed and placed the baby down. He wanted to object, to say he hadn't had contact with humans ever, that he wasn't aware of how they worked – but he kept his mouth shut. What was the point in arguing? He'd just be rocking the boat further, and he was already a nuisance enough as it was for his uncle and cousins, and even his sisters. Why should he proceed to annoy these two further, risking getting tossed aside again? He couldn't afford it… Roshan needed him, and he didn't want Shira to hate him. So he followed the saberess' orders.

Shira examined the child, noticing something. "Hey… its nose is dry," she said.

Gupta touched the child's nose, taking note that it was indeed dry. "This is terrible," he fretted over the baby. "A dry nose is never a good sign!"

"I'll lick his nose," Shira stated. When the badger gave her a questionable look, she quickly added, "Just to make sure he won't get sick."

"No, I think I should do it," Gupta insisted, putting his hand up to stop the saber from leaning in. He swore he could feel his face flush at the feeling of her muzzle making contact with his hand, before he internally smacked himself. She's a predator, moorkh. She could obliterate you in a heartbeat. Focus on the baby. He pulled his hand away, and went to do exactly that...

But then Gutt spoke up. "Hey, he's wearing one of those diapers," he pointed out. He recalled his father picking up one from an old human village's washing basket once. Thankfully, it had been clean, but of course, he'd shared more of what he observed... and that meant the unclean ones. The monkey's nose scrunched up at the memory. Filthy two-legged creatures... "Maybe he's, err, done his business in it."

Gupta blinked, his own muzzle scrunching up. "You mean…?"

Gutt nodded. "It goes right in there."

The chamitataxus gagged, pulling his tongue back. "Bilkul vidrohee!" he exclaimed, wincing. "Can't humans take it behind a tree like most creatures?"

The gigantopithecus made a gesture to the diaper. "You change it."

The badger looked incredulously at the larger mammal. "Me? Check that thing?" He shook his head. "I will not stand for such humiliation!" He had standards and dignity, and he refused to be reduced to a mere poop checker.

"Nobody is humiliating you," Gutt deadpanned. He felt like flinging himself off the nearest cliff at this point. This moron will be the death of me. "And need I remind you it was your idea to wrangle him in! And you're the one who's experienced with taking care of kids so hop to it, badger boy, or else I'll turn you into a checkered white flag."

"You're bluffing," Gupta said, nervous. He really didn't want to change the diaper. "…right?"

"JUST CHANGE THE DAMN DIAPER!" Gutt roared, fed up with the badger's nonsense. You stupid, little, insignificant—

"Alright, alright!" Gupta cowered back and went to undo the knot of the cloth. He grimaced as he slowly removed Roshan's diaper, while being careful to not cut the baby's skin with his claws. My brothers weren't this hard... but then again, they were badgers too, he mused, fond memories of his younger brothers resurfacing. Jugal always tried to fling dirt around, pretending it was his pellets. Itana chhota suar. But it was kind of funny, and he was only a few months old. Once he removed the diaper, he placed it down onto the side of the rock. He stopped though, noticing it was completely clean. "Wait, it's not dirty."

"No way." Shira took a glimpse at the cloth, noticing it wasn't soiled in the slightest. "What the…?" She was confused. So if the thing was clean, that meant the baby was clean. So why was it crying? "I don't understand. Why is Pinkster so upset then?"

"Maybe he's hungry?" suggested Gupta, recalling when his brothers and sisters would often wail for food. That was why mother and father went out hunting so much, leaving him to babysit. He tried to help his siblings by giving them small bugs to chew on, but something told him that wouldn't work on Roshan. "Babies often cry when they're starving. And he probably hasn't eaten since dawn."

"Then how about we give the 'lil lad some milk, huh?" Gutt suggested, snapping his fingers as an idea hit him. Perhaps the saber wasn't a terrible addition after all, he though as he looked to her. After all, where there was a female, there was milk.

"Milk? But we don't—" Gupta stopped when his eyes fell upon Shira. "Oh." He grinned nervously, quickly putting the diaper back on Roshan before holding the baby up to the smilodon. Main jo kahane ja raha hoon usake lie bhagavaan mujhe maaph kar do… "Um, listen, Miss Shira… I hate to bother you but uh, could you…?" He felt his stomach twist in a knot, his ears burning with embarrassment. He sounded like an idiot. A perverted idiot. But he was trying to make sure Roshan was provided for… yet he knew he was making the worst first impression a male could ever make with a female — and to top it all of, it was a female outside of his own species, so he was ruining it even more.

Fantastic.

Shira's lips curled into a snarl. "You're far below the food chain to be asking such questions now," she said in a deathly low voice, glaring daggers at him. The nerve of this... this rat, asking her to— ugh, she couldn't even stomach it! She wanted to smack him across the face for even suggesting… "Tell me, Gupta, does it look like I'm lactating right now?"

Gupta gulped, backing away. He made a mistake. A grave error. God above, have mercy on me, he begged silently. Spare me from the wrath of this scorned feline. This vixen-like saberess. "N-no, but since you are a female, I - I thought…"

"I don't have children," said Shira bluntly, taking a step forward, lowering her face to his. "Childless ones like me? We don't have milk." She sneered at him. "So you thought wrong, very wrong. You perverted little freak."

The badger flinched at the saber's words, seeing the sight of those pearly white fangs- though shiny and beautiful, still very threatening. "I'm sorry," he apologized quickly, feeling the shame overwhelm him alongside his fear. Nice going, kid. First girl you like, and you're screwing it up beyond any measure. Wonderful. He should've known better, shouldn't have followed Gutt's line of thinking. "But - but it's just - he'll starve if he doesn't get any food. I made the error of assuming—" the words got caught in his throat as he found himself taking note of how much taller she was, as he backed up onto all fours. She stood so large, so regal-looking… and he wondered if she had a pack and if in that pack, she had been the leader or a high ranking member, because she certainly looked like one.

Frightening, but gorgeous, the chamitataxus noted of the smilodon. And then he wondered what was wrong with him.

Shira stared at the badger. "So you assumed I'm some kind of cow you can milk?" she finished, guessing that was what he meant to say before he stopped. She noticed he was...ogling at her, looking up and down like she was some kind of fruit. His lack of response didn't help either as he merely seemed to nod, lost in his own thoughts, whatever they might've been. "Answer me!" she hissed, feeling a frown tug at the corner of her mouth. And it wasn't the usual frown she gave when she was annoyed at a pack member, but a different one - one of frustration and…hurt.

She didn't like it when she wasn't being taken seriously, especially not by those beneath her. It reminded her of all the times she was laughed at, mocked and ridiculed by Oscar and his friends. Whatever you say, Snow White, he always said. Just remember that even if Soto likes you, doesn't mean we gotta listen to you. She grit her teeth, recalling the crushing moments of the past, and looked to see the badger still staring, and on top of that he was smiling. "Oh so you think it's funny, do you now?"

"N-no," said Gupta quickly, growing more nervous. "I – I was smiling because you're… really pretty!"

Shira paused, eyes going wide. She couldn't believe what she just heard. He thought she was… pretty? No, that couldn't be right — it had to be some kind of joke. A sick, twisted joke. "Yeah, right," she scoffed, expression and voice showing nothing but disbelief. "You're only saying that to save your own skin." He couldn't think she was pretty. She was a smilodon, and he was a chamitataxus. Their species didn't mix and for good reason: only bad things could arise from such a union. Sabers stuck with sabers, and badgers stuck with badgers — that was what she was taught growing up, and that was a rule she'd follow. Besides, how could he like her? She wasn't … she wasn't loveable. No, she was ruthless, she was a hunter, she was—!

"I'm not," Gupta insisted, frowning as he felt an aching in his chest. "I really do think you're beautiful."

Shira's brow furrowed. "You don't even—"

"I hate to interrupt your little lover's quarrel," Gutt cut in, growing agitated by the constant banter. The baby wasn't fed, and he was still crying, and it seemed to go over these idiots' heads as they had their strange discussion - whatever it was lovebirds did, he didn't care. He just wanted peace and quiet. "But if you two can just shut up for one measly second and focus on feeding little Roshan or whatever his name is—" he brought out his claws "—then I won't have to be forced to rip your throats out and use your saliva as a dairy substitute!"

The gigantopithecus' bellow echoed throughout the place. Roshan's wailing grew louder and both the saber and badger glared at the monkey, who stared as if saying, what the hell did I do? "Nice going," said Gupta, now agitated.

"Alright, give Pinkster to me," said Shira, taking the baby from Gupta's arms. He let out a squeak and tried to take the child back, but stopped when she held a paw up. "I'm not gonna hurt him. Just watch. Kids love this." At least, the cubs did back in my pack. She placed the baby down in front of her, then covered her eyes with her paws. "Where's the lil cubby?" She pulled her paws aside as if to say, boo but instead, "There he is!"

Roshan blinked, feeling uneasy as the large cat played this game. This wasn't like what his mother did - in fact, he didn't remember if she ever tried to hid herself. He got scared when the cat disappeared, only to show up, only to disappear again. This was horrifying… especially because the tigress kept showing her sharp teeth. Sharper than his father's weapon, which he was never meant to be near. If papa saw, he'd be angry.

"Where's the little cubby wubby?" She pulled her paws aside, head popping out, mouth in a wide grin. "There he is!"

Roshan wailed. He didn't like this game.

Gutt groaned. "Nice going, tigress," he said sarcastically, taking the baby. "Now you've scared him even more. Allow me to show you how it's done." I actually almost had a daughter. I should know. I have instincts you lack, he thought to boast, but kept silent. That was for him to know, and them not to find out. "Hey little Pinkie," he cooed, putting on a goofy tone which made his companions stare weirdly at him. "Oo-ooh! Oo-ooh!" he made noises, which he assumed was how the adult humans viewed his kind as - silly monkeys. Dimwitted. Humiliating thought, but at least the kid would find some entertainment - and if he did, that meant he wouldn't be crying. Good. "Oo-ee-ah-ooh!"

Roshan laughed and clapped his hands. The other two looked astonished.

"I can't believe it," said Shira in disbelief.

"That actually worked?" asked Gupta, rubbing his eyes to see if this was real.

Gutt looked smug and content for a moment, up until Roshan grabbed his nostrils and pulled. He winced and quickly gave the baby back to Gupta. "Alright, alright - here, he's yours now."

"Thank you," said Gupta as he held the child. Suddenly, there was the sound of a stomach rumbling. "But uh, Roshan still needs food."

"…damn." Gutt looked at Shira for a moment, mouth opening as he was ready to ask her if she was really unable to lactate, until she shot the deadliest glare at him, a snarl emerging from her throat. He threw his arms up. "Calm down, kitty cat. I wasn't even gonna try anything."

All three went into an awkward silence, until there was a rustling sound. All turned to see a watermelon near a bush.

Gupta and Gutt's eyes lit up. "Food!" both cried in unison. Shira merely blinked. Being a carnivore meant that she couldn't grasp why those overly sweet fruits appealed to the other mammals, especially when the taste was so sugary and nasty… but of course, to a gigantopithecus and a chamitataxus, a watermelon was like a dessert - a healthy dessert.

Finally, Pinkie can quiet down now. Gutt picked up the melon and was about to carry it to Roshan, when suddenly, a dodo bird burst from the bush and snatched the melon away. "HEY!" cried the monkey angrily, shaking his fist. "I GOT THAT FIRST, SO HANDS OFF—!"

The dodo scurried off, squawking like crazy, leaving the gigantopithecus enraged and the other two mammals confused.

Shira squinted. "Did that bird just take the watermelon?"

"I think so," said Gupta, also squinting while Roshan whined in his arms. He gently bounced the baby in an attempt to calm him. "I don't get why though. Doesn't he know about finders keepers?"

"Don't just stand around and talk!" Gutt exclaimed, looking at the two with an annoyed expression. "Help me get that watermelon back!"

"Aye aye, captain!" Gupta said, running as fast as a badger could when holding a human child. Shira was must faster in following the gigantopithecus as they ran ahead though, which left the chamitataxus to admire the smilodon's form.

He sighed. Maybe this was why he felt weird about settling for another badger. He was into predators … which honestly was a recipe for pain, but he grew up hearing the phrase "love is a battlefield" so he was ready to trudge into said battle - even as he faced high chances of an unhappy end. To have lived and loved was better than to not love at all, right?

—0—

A dodo colonel looked over a bunch of dodo soldiers as they marched. He began to sing a chant.

"I don't know, but I've been told."

The soldiers sang back in response, repeating his words.

"I don't know, but I've been told."

The dodo colonel began the next verse.

"End of the world be mighty cold."

His soldiers repeated it.

"End of the world be mighty cold."

Another dodo shouted, "Prepare for the Ice Age!"

"Protect the dodo way of life!"

"Survival separates the dodos from the beasts!"

Gutt, Shira and Gupta stared, confused at the scene before them. What was going on here? Was this some kind of training camp?

"Prepare for the ice age!"

"What in the world is an 'Ice Age'?" asked Gupta, eyes squinting as he tried to make sense of this. Was it the snow that scared them? What were they talking about?

"These guys are crackpots," Shira explained to him. "Total conspiracy theorists. They think the world's gonna end when the cold ice blows over this place."

Gupta nodded, understanding a bit. Not a lot, but a bit. "Ah. You know, you're very smart," he said honestly. I wish I had this knowledge.

A dodo spotted them. "Intruders!"

One of the leading dodos was lecturing a group about a smoking crater. "Now don't fall in. If you do, you will—"

"Intruders! Intru- AAAAHHH!" The dodo sprinted in, not paying attention to where he was going and as a result, tripped and fell in. The other dodos winced as a sizzling sound was heard.

"—burn and die," finished the leader.

The trio walked towards some tree stumps with melons placed on them. "Excuse me, I hate to interrupt your little training session," Gutt began. "But I believe this melon belongs to us." He gestured to Roshan. "Pinky here is hungry and won't stop—"

"No way!" the leader dodo exclaimed, running over to the trio. He stood in front of the melons protectively. "This is our private stock pile for the ice age! Sub-arctic temperatures will force us underground for a million, billion years!"

Gutt blinked. "How will you survive for that long with only three melons? You'd need a lifetime supply of fruit to live for that long."

The dodos looked at their melons before turning back to the group, offended by that comment.

"If you weren't smart enough to plan ahead, then doom on you!"

The other dodos began walking towards the gigantopithecus, chanting: "Doom on you, doom on you…!"

Gutt gritted his teeth. Now he was facing psychotic birds. Fantastic. "Get the hell away from me."

As the leader tried to chant, he leaned too hard onto a melon and caused it to roll away. "Oh no! No!"

Gupta set Roshan down as it rolled towards them. The baby squealed as he grabbed the melon. The badger smiled, content in that moment. "Eat up, kid."

"Retrieve the melon!" the dodo leader ordered. "Taekwon-dodos, ATTACK!"

The dodos suddenly did martial arts poses, trying to be intimidating. They started kicking each other. One dodo kicked one dodo towards Roshan. He kicked the melon out of Roshan's hands. Another dodo caught the melon with his head and tossed it to another dodo. Tossing it from one dodo to another, they kept tossing it until one dodo accidentally tossed it over a cliff.

Shira facepalmed. "Nice going, feather-brains!" she shouted, eyes narrowed.

The dodo's eyes widened. "THE MELON!"

A group of dodos started squawking. "THE MELON, THE MELON, THE MELON, THE MELON…!" Not paying much attention, they pushed the dodo off the cliff, taking themselves with him. The last one that fell happened to be the only female.

"There goes our last female," one of the observer dodos remarked to another.

Shira felt herself flinch at this, remembering what Soto had said.

"…your use as a female can be expanded on in ways you're not ready for. That pretty face of yours won't do you any good in the long run…"

She was the last female like that dodo had been, except she was alive. But her life was depending, ironically, on the very thing these dodos were trying to stop – the baby. One wrong move involving the kid, and Soto would make use of her status as the last female saber in their pack. In more ways than one.

She shuddered. No, no that wouldn't happen – never. She would make sure of that. As long as she had the kid in her sights, she was safe. Safe from… Shira's eyes traveled to the tree stump, where Gupta was snatching one of the two melons left. What is he doing? He'll get caught! she thought.

Surely enough, a trio of dodos noticed this and ran towards him.

Gupta shrieked, holding into the melon.

Together, they took the melon out of Gupta's hands and tossed it to each other upward. Then, one dodo kicked it away. Three dodos caught it with their beaks, but were standing right above the smoking crater.

"Ruko, ruko—!" Gupta tried to stop them, running towards the dodos. But then Shira leapt in front of him, blocking his way. He tried to peer over, to get her to move aside so he could get that melon back.

But the smilodon stood firm. "You're doing to die if you go after them," she said sternly. It was admirable, how willing he was to help this kid when by all means, this child would grow up to hunt his kind — but still, she would give the chamitataxus credit. He was devoted to his mission. Just like she was to hers. That was one thing they had in common. "It's not worth it."

Gupta was about to protest, but stopped as he looked ahead.

"GOT IT, GOT IT, GOT IT, GOT IT, GOT IT!" The watermelon shot up. "…DON'T GOT IT!" They fell into the crater with the melon.

The chamitataxus looked back at the saber, blinking rapidly. "I – you – did you just…?" he stammered, trying to gather his thoughts. She technically saved him. If he went after those dodos, he would've burnt up just like them. Roshan would've lost another caretaker. "Dhanyavaad!" She was like a goddess sent from the heavens to—

"Knock it off," said the saber, gesturing towards the last melon. "Come on, we've gotta feed pinkster."

Gupta nodded and ran to grab the melon, but as soon as he held it in his hands, the dodos turned their attention on him.

"The last melon!" they all cried in unison.

He shrieked as he was mobbed by all of the dodos. The melon flew out of the badger's hands—

Once again Gutt caught the melon and held it high, preventing it from being snatched up by dodos. "Better luck next time, birdbrains!" the monkey jeered. As some leapt for it, he teased, "Oh you almost had it there!"

But as he concentrated in protecting the melon, he failed to notice one of the dodos was behind him. The dodo leapt up and pecked on Gutt's behind, causing him to scream in pain and toss the melon into the air.

The melon was now flying high into the air. Gupta ran after it, dodging several dodos along the way. I have to get this for Roshan, he thought, doing a zig-zag. As a result, they bumped into each other. For the baby! He recalled how he looked out for his brothers, seeing no difference between his then younger siblings and the human child in the moment. His sisters? Well, that was a different story… for later.

The melon bounces on some of the birds' heads before landing in Gupta's hands. He smiled, now having some food for Roshan. But as he looked up, he noticed all the dodos were starting to close in on him, ready for the final assault to grab the melon. Surrounded, the chamitataxus looked at Roshan- now held by Gutt- who held his hand out, wanting the melon.

"Guuu…?"

Seeing the slightly hurt, hungry look in the infant's eyes and remembering how his youngest brother Irrfan looked at him the same way the first time mother weaned… Gupta knew what to do. He breathed in, then out, closing his eyes. Outnumbered, but not giving up on Roshan, the badger held the melon tightly and started running through the dodo flocks.

"What is he doing?!" Gutt cried out, eyes wide. "He's gonna get himself pecked to death!"

"That idiot!" cried Shira, her claws grinding into the ground. "That brainless, moronic…" she trailed off, eyes almost wide as plates when she saw him push, shoved and smacked every dodo in his path out of the way. What? Where was this bravery when he was facing her? Where did this come from? She was astonished. "Well I'll be damned."

Like a football player, he braved his way through the countless dodos in his way. Some dodos tried attacking Gupta, but ended up inadvertently attacking each other.

Fighting his way through the flocks, Gupta saw the remaining flock charging towards him all around. Making a risky action, he jumped up and flew above all the dodos. Gutt, Shira and Roshan watched Gupta fly. Roshan closed his eyes, worried for the badger.

Gutt's teeth grit, clenching in worry. Shira shook her head. One thought was on both mammals' minds.

Come on, Gupta, come on...!

The badger landed on the ground, and though hurt, he managed to save the melon. Roshan looked and cheered, along with the others. Gupta had successfully saved the food for Roshan. He celebrated his victory while the dodos mourned over the loss of their food supply. He didn't pay attention, being too busy to notice.

"TAKE THAT! Looks like Gupta beat you!" he gloated.

"By god, you've done it!" Gutt cried, praising the badger as he ran over to him. "You actually got the melon!"

"I guess badgers aren't so dumb after all, huh?" Shira smiled as she pat his back. Maybe she misjudged- wait, what? No. He was still an idiot, just an idiot with accomplishments. Don't let your logic go now, just 'cause he impressed you once, she scolded herself.

Gupta flushed, chuckling and rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. "Of course. There's always a spark of intelligence even in the smallest creatures," he spoke, trying to sound confident. He wasn't used to praise, especially not from a female…nor someone he liked for that matter. Oh father, if only you could've taught me a thing or two. Or maybe that wouldn't work, seeing that mother was a badger and not a saber…ah, well… he grinned at her for a second, then placed the melon down. "Here you go, Roshan. Khaen."

Gutt set Roshan down, and the human baby crawled towards the melon. He tried to nibble on it, only to start whining when he couldn't get a bite. His teeth were just growing in, and he couldn't do much with them. His lip quivered. He was so hungry though…

"Oh, right, his teeth aren't…" Gutt smacked himself. Now I'm the idiot. He picked the melon up, then smashed in onto the ground. "There." He wiped his hands briefly. "Much better."

Gupta and Shira's jaws dropped. "Hey, monkeybrain, you do realize we gotta look for more- food now…" the saber began to snap at the big ape, only to stop when she saw Roshan eating the pieces of the watermelon. "Huh."

"On the contrary, Shira," Gutt spoke smugly. "Monkey brains happen to be the largest of them all."

They watched as Roshan ate, content with his food. They all smiled for a moment.

Well, until the dodos ran by, all stacked on each other. "Right, more to the right. Right, right, right. More to the right. Right, right, right."

"Would you look at that? Dinner and a feast for the eyes," Gutt remarked, amused. "Not a single malnourishment here, lads… and lass."

"Left, left, left! LEFT, LEFT, LEFT- WAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

They watched as the dodos tumbled over a cliff. There was a silence, and then Shira asked: "Wait, what are we going to eat now?"

Gutt paled, before cursing loudly as he had forgotten that one thing. "OH DAMN IT!"

Chapter Text

Later that night, under the starry sky, Gupta decided to find food for himself.

"You know, you don't have to go scrounging," Gutt said, holding out a few berries that he had found. "You can just have some of these. Or if you're in the mood for meat, well…" he trailed off, gesturing to Shira as she dined on a mouse. "Try and persuade her."

Gupta glanced at the berries, then at Shira. Her muzzle was covered in the dried blood of her quick kill, appearing both threatening and yet … bizarrely adorable. Like a kitten dining on her first rodent. He would like to dine with her, but he knew that wasn't going to be. She wouldn't allow it, and that would be taking too large of a step right now, so he simply shook his head. He didn't crave berries either though – not that he didn't like them, but it wasn't in his appetite at the moment. "Nahin dhanyavaad. I will find my own food," he decided.

Gutt shrugged. He wasn't going to argue with the badger, not when he was in a good mood, which was rare. For once that day, everything felt peaceful – Roshan was asleep in a little patch of straw the gigantopithecus had gathered, Shira was doing her own thing without raising any suspicions, and he was having some nice berries. Let him go off and get his own dinner, the ape thought. He won't pester you, and there'll be no more migraines. "Alright, suit yourself." He went to his corner of the campsite they resided in, sitting next to Roshan.

The gigantopithecus looked over the sleeping human infant, carefully stroking his tuft of hair. "Rest well, pinky," he murmured. Tomorrow, there was a long day ahead. "You're gonna need it."

Gupta left the campsite to go look for some food. "Now, for a meal befitting a hero," he thought aloud. He went over to a tree, climbing up and searching a branch for any fruits. "Nothing," he sighed, seeing it was barren. "Of course…" He recalled back in his old continent, the trees were always green and had all kinds of delectable treats growing from them. Mangos, grapes, apricots, guavas, avocados – all kinds of things to snack upon. And the bugs, oh how delicious they were! Yet here, he couldn't find even a single scorpion.

He remembered running up the trees to play with his brothers. He always reached the top before they did in their races, then bit the side and let his body blow in the wind like he was flying the colors of a pirate – no, no. It was just a game. He liked to play around when he was a young boy, but he knew now that he was most likely destined to be alone. That's why his Uncle Krishna, cousins and sisters always left him behind. That's why they took his brothers away from him, wouldn't let him see them because you're a fool, Gupta. You can't take care of anybody to save your own skin. Irrfan, Mowgli, Sanjay, Rishi and Manoj will be better off elsewhere. That's what his sisters Shanti, Jyoti, Anisha and Padma told him one night, when Uncle Krishna had led the five outside their den at the time.

Gupta hadn't seen them since… six years now, he believed. They had to be adults by now.

He wondered how they were. Better off without me, probably, he mused sadly. Once Roshan's back with his tribe, Gutt will get rid of me… and then, she will leave. I'll be alone again. He sat on the branch, his claws digging into the bark. He had to find a way to make use of himself, to continue to get on their good sides, or else … he'd be losing the closest things to companionship he had.

Suddenly, a more logical side of him smacked in. Stop being such a whiner, he scolded himself. It does you no good. And it would only bring him down more. He had to keep his head up. So he stood tall – tall as a badger could – and went to searching for his food, trying to remain happy. The one he liked praised him, and the captain seemed pleased with his accomplishment – those were reasons to chin up.

Gupta went to the hole of the tree and pulled out an acorn. He tapped on it. "A bit hard, but it will do," he decided, content with a small delicacy. "It will need some seasoning though…" As he began to walk away, Scratte let out a shriek and leapt onto the badger. Both wrestled for the acorn - well, more so it was the squirrel who did, to which she yanked the acorn away successfully and huffed.

The chamitataxus watched with disbelief as the squirrel stomped away, while shouting some curses at him he couldn't quite understand. Was this how locals acted over simple mishaps? He shook his head. He should've tried to stand his ground but frankly, it was too late at night to get into a scuffle with something smaller than him. So he went back to the campsite.

Roshan had woken up from his rest, currently tugging on Gutt's arm. The straw bed was a bit rough. He didn't like the texture. It made him feel itchy. He wanted a soft bed, like the one back at home that his mother would set him in. The monkey's fur seemed soft enough, even if a bit messy.

"Guuuuu!" the baby cried.

"What, you want to sleep with me?" asked Gutt tiredly. The baby nodded his head. "Fine, come here." He pulled the kid to lay on his stomach, laying on his back so the infant could get comfortable. Roshan gurgled and curled up to the gigantopithecus, making a slight smile form on the mammal's face. "G'night, pinky…" May your dreams be filled with fortune.

Gutt looked to Shira, eyebrows raised in suspicion as he checked to see if she was asleep. Sure enough, the saber was all curled up, resting. Strange how peaceful she seemed, unbefitting for a predator. He wondered what she was dreaming of, or more so what she had planned. He couldn't be too sure, so he held the child close. Hearing small footsteps come near as he tried to close his eyes, he muttered, "Well, well, if it isn't Gupta the hero…"

"Not in the mood," said the chamitataxus quietly, going to a rock and curled up to sleep. "How is Roshan?"

"Sleeping like a baby," Gutt replied blandly. "Not much else."

"Achchha, achchha…" Gupta yawned. "Goodnight, Captain."

"'Night…"

But as Gutt was closing his eyes, he heard the badger start to whisper: "Shubh raatri, Irrfan. May you have wild dreams of far away places. You too, Mowgli and Sanjay. And Rishi? Apane aap ko kabhee mat chhodo, okay? Same goes for you, Manoj."

"Who are you talking to?" Gutt asked, irritated. He wanted to get some sleep, yet here he was being kept awake by this badger's talking.

"Oh, sorry, captain," Gupta apologized. "I'm just wishing goodnight to my brothers." He smiled wistfully. "They're the only ones who didn't leave me behind."

Gutt felt a pang of guilt and sympathy for the badger. He wasn't aware of the guy's full story, but from what he was hearing, it seemed to be that he was cut off from his brothers and his remaining family abandoned him. Even if he got on his nerves, no one deserved to be treated like this – to be left to freeze. "I see. Well, goodnight, Gupta," he said slowly, before closing his eyes again.

The badger yawned again. "Shubh raatri, captain." And as soon as those words left his mouth, he dozed off.

The gigantopithecus pulled the sleeping Roshan close to him, his dreams filled with memories of when he almost had a daughter of his own. When Marcella was alive, and so were his parents. When everything seemed so promising.

A mournful frown formed on his lips. I'm sorry. If I was only quicker, if I climbed the cliff sooner … but in the end, what was done was done. There wasn't anything he could do to change it.

Shira's blue eyes shone bright as they opened, once she was fully aware that the two mammals were fast asleep. She approached the monkey, slowly prowling near where he held the child. She smirked. Idiot. The one rule a herbivore must know: always sleep with one eye open when around a carnivore. It seemed he lacked the instinct, the common knowledge – and for that, she couldn't fault him too much. He saw her as a mere kitty cat, unaware of what she was really up to. Though she scowled at his presumptions of her, she delighted in the fact he seemed to let his guard down. It made her job much easier.

But as she went to grab the child, she heard a crack. She stopped, looking over to Gupta, who snored slightly. Her eyes narrowed yet she couldn't frown, not really. He was foolish, yet he did impress her with how he went through all those dodos for a melon. In a way, he did her a favor, keeping the kid fed so it was ripe enough for when she would take it to Soto. Thank you, Gupta, she said inwardly. Your contributions will be much appreciated. Yet as these words were uttered in her mind, there was a twinge of something – she couldn't figure out what it was, though. Oh well. She went to grab the baby again –

Another crack, followed by footsteps. Instinctively, Gutt pulled Roshan closer to him. Shira cursed silently, gritting her teeth. She went to see where the noise was coming from, crouching and getting ready to pounce. A rustle in the bushes sent her growling, leaping at –

Zeke. It was Zeke, she realized when she found herself pinning him down, almost ready to sink her claws into him. Her eyes went wide. "What are you—?"

"Go ahead, slice me!" Zeke said boldly, though his movements and the look in his eyes showed how anxious, scared he was. In a way any lower-ranking member of a pack would fear a lieutenant. "It'll be the last thing you'll ever do!"

"I was trying to work here, you spazztic flea for brains!" Shira hissed as she stood on top of the other saber. He was always a nuisance to her, never on the same level as Oscar but he still partook in taunting her, making her feel lower than she really was. Ironic, considering he was a poor hunter and lacked any common sense. Idiotic waste of breath.

"Frustrated now, are we, Snow White?" asked Oscar as he walked up to her, jeering. "Tracking down helpless infants must be so hard." Sarcasm dripped from his tone, a smirk on his face – one that she so desperately wanted to claw off.

Shira got off Zeke, standing between both him and Oscar. "What the hell are you two morons doing here?" she demanded, glaring at them. Couldn't they just leave her be for once? Must they always try to make some useless attempt at bringing her down? Especially Oscar and his desire to seemingly stand on the top, despite her being the bigger, stronger rival – the one with Soto's approval.

"Soto's getting tired of waiting," Oscar informed her, his brow furrowing. His tone had a smugness, along with some other thing she couldn't put her paw on. All she knew is that it wasn't good.

"Yeah, yeah," Zeke cut in, pacing for a few seconds. "He said, 'Come back with the baby, OR DON'T COME BACK AT ALL!' HAHAHAHAHAHA!" he cackled.

Oscar's smirk grew. "Oh but that's not all he said," he spoke, taking a step closer to the saberess. "He also had another alternative for you, Snow White."

Shira began to feel uneasy, her fur standing on the edge and her feet trembling. "And what's that?" she asked, trying to mask the fear growing inside of her. Soto couldn't have been planning…

Oscar leaned in, whispering, "If you do come back, expect to serve as its replacement in more ways than one." He relished in seeing her freeze up, a wide grin forming. "That pretty white fur of yours will be tainted… not only will the pack's cravings be satisfied, but so shall Soto's." He pulled away from her ear, his voice filled with a cruel sense of joy as he finished, "And trust me, he won't be holding back. You know how he is – when he sees something he wants, he takes it."

Shira quailed at this, her body going still, almost limp. So that was it then. Come back with the baby, don't return, or return and be savagely raped and killed – those were her choices. Only one seemed to guarantee a future for her while the other two, mainly the latter … she shuddered, trying to keep her face blank, but she couldn't. The thought of being mounted and violated until she was raw and bloody, body paralyzed by the pain before execution – it was too much. She couldn't take it, the horror plaguing her mind.

Both Oscar and Zeke laughed upon seeing her horrified expression. "You're no fun, pretty!" the smaller male jeered.

"Fear not, Zeke," the more lean male spoke, a cruel glint in his eyes. "If she does return, we'll all be having fun."

A whimper escaped Shira at those words, memories flooding.

Soto's thighs brushed against her sides, his paw going down her back to stroke her rear briefly, hungrily. "You know, you're lucky I found you in the middle of the forest. I don't know if I could have held myself back otherwise." She could feel him against the small of her back. Bile rose, and she struggled to swallow it down.

"S-stop…"

His expression darkened. "What did you just say?"

Shira quickly moved away from him, shaking her head, struggling to keep calm  –  to appear firm. "Please, I…I don't see you that way, Soto," she said, trying to keep her horror out of her tone. "I see you as a friend. We grew up together. It'd be wrong if we…"

Anger flashed in his eyes for a moment, until his expression changed to a more neutral one  –  which somehow felt more eerie. "Fine," he said, reluctantly moving away from the white saber, much to her relief. But his next words felt like a kick to the gut. "But mark my words, I will get a taste…eventually."

With that, he began to walk away… only to stop for a moment. He looked over his shoulder, smirked crudely, and winked.

Deep inside, she shuddered – but she kept her face blank.

It didn't matter, because when she did return to camp, Soto was already flirting with some female sabers, who were equally orange-furred and equally stupid, swooning over the brute.

Shira shook her head, snapping herself out of the horrific flashback. No, that wouldn't happen – Soto wouldn't rape her. She would make sure of it. So she put on a brave face and said confidently as she could, "Then send this message to Soto: the baby will be brought to him soon." She began to ascend the hill that led to the campsite. "Not only that, but I'm also bringing him… a gigantopithecus." She bore her teeth at the two male sabers, teal eyes shining with a new sense of duty.

Zeke's eyes widened. "A gigantopithecus?!" he exclaimed, surprised. "But I thought—"

"Those monkeys never travel alone," Oscar scolded his fellow pack member, a know-it-all tone in his voice.

She lead them to a rocky perch that allowed them to view a sleeping Gutt. "Well, this guy does." She crouched. "And I'm leading him and the kid to Half-Peak." She refused to address the badger. Although he wasn't bright, she wasn't ready to sell him out. It wasn't like he'd be a good kill for the pack, anyway. Too small, not worth the trouble.

Zeke salivated. "Look at all that meat... let's get him!" He nearly pounced, but was shoved back by Shira.

"Not yet! We'll need a whole pack to take this one down." She looked at Gutt, a strange feeling forming inside her. But she tried to hold it down, knowing this was the one chance she had at saving herself from a fate worse than simple death. "Get everyone ready," she ordered Oscar and Zeke. "Now."

Zeke ran off, while Oscar lingered for a second. "You best keep your word, Snow White, or else you'll become Soto's new toy," he warned her. With that, he left.

The white saber went back to camp, stopping as she stood across from where the monkey slept. The words echoed through her mind, along with another memory.

"What are you doing?"

The larger saber leaned in close. "Nothing you haven't wanted for a long time."

Shira's knees gave out, and she forced herself to take deep breaths. If she didn't, she knew her body would rebel, lungs straining, vision narrowing, paws cramping and useless. It almost happened once – a year ago, the first time Soto had noticed her as anything more than a friend, a lieutenant; someone easily disposable. It was minutes of long breaths, huddling in the meager sunshine for warmth, before she began to feel something like herself again.

She had inherited her father's lithe height – which while more considerable than her mother's, was nothing near to Soto's hulk. She had inherited her parents' features combined as well, or so her father had told her. His blue eyes, her mother's stripes, his strength – the makings of a perfect lieutenant.

It had brought her nothing but trouble.

Before the humans had attacked the pack, potential suitors paid her almost more attention than they had to Soto's calls for pack gatherings, which had inflamed the leading alpha into some sick combination of jealousy and lust. Five years' difference meant that Shira had yet to grow into her potential, while Soto had more than fulfilled his own. Given space and room, Shira could triumph easily, but in close quarters she was outmatched.

Now, she could not even be safe from his threats when doing this mission.

There must be a way to get that baby to him soon, she thought miserably, her claws digging into the soil of the earth.

It would be a blessing for her – a chance to escape Soto's advances forever.

But until that chance came, Shira was tied to this duo of a chamitataxus and a gigantopithecus, forced to travel with them. And with the lingering threat of rape upon her, the only light in the darkness seemed to be the little pink infant. If she could just grab him and –

Gutt's eyes opened and he sat up, still cradling Roshan gently in his arms, keeping the baby from waking up. "You alright, tigress?" he asked, noticing the look on the saber's face. Her deep breathing had stirred him from his slumber, which he considered a slight blessing.

Shira scowled. "What do you care?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing. You're an herbivore, I'm a predator – you're supposed to be wary.

Now it was his turn for his brows to furrow. "Excuse me for being concerned," he scoffed lightly. "But you see, your breathing – which isn't normal, by the way – woke me up."

"Oh…" She pushed herself to sit up. "Well…" She clenched her teeth. She couldn't let herself be weak. "What does it matter? In a few days or so, we'll no longer be each other's worries."

"Yes, but I need to rest," Gutt pointed out, as a matter of factly. "And so do you. You're our tracker, after all. Can't have you sleeping on the job." Seeing her stop, he knew he got her. Works every time.

Shira sighed. "Have you ever had unwanted attention directed at you?" she asked slowly, tilting her head. "A suitor who was too persistent, and not in a good way?"

Gutt blinked. He hadn't expected such a question, especially such a… personal one, at that. But he tried to answer as truthfully as he could. "Yes, sort of. There was this one female back when I was still a young adult. She was like a siren, trying to lure me in – but my heart was set upon another." A bitter smile formed on his face. "So I evaded her best I could, until I finally plundered the heart of the one I loved."

Shira paused, taking this in. She hadn't pegged him as the type to have had a romantic life, yet the way he spoke – it sounded too sincere to be a lie. "I see…"

Gutt was about to go on, only to stop when he realized he spoke too much. He cursed silently. Why did you tell her this? She didn't need to know-

"Did the siren ever…threaten you?"

He paused. Once again, that was an odd question. "Not exactly," he answered slowly. He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Shira shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important." She shouldn't have said anything. But she did feel the burden slowly leave, knowing that at least one of her companions seemed to sort of understand. "Goodnight, Gutt."

Gutt could tell there was more going on, but decided not to press further out of tiredness. Tomorrow, at some point, he would try to dig deeper. For now though, he replied with, "'Night, tigress. Sweet dreams." And he went back to sleep.

Shira curled up, closing her eyes and shuddering. Her dreams could never be sweet, not when they were plagued by the horrific thoughts of what Soto could do. Of all the times he almost… and she had to…

In the end, she had to wait until the numbing exhaustion took over. When seemingly dead to the world, she was beyond worry.

The welcome blackness of sleep closed around her and with that, she was swept into a sea of nothing, free from the pain.

Chapter Text

Morning arrived.

Gutt woke up and felt for the baby, only to discover that the baby was gone. Fear spread through the monkey's body and he searched around, frantic. No, no, no … he can't be gone! I had him with me last night, I was watching him, I –

Gutt stopped as his eyes laid upon Shira's sleeping form. She couldn't have… not when they'd had that conversation last night. If she grabbed the kid, he would've felt it. Still, there was that part of him that was skeptical. He knew not to trust too easily, so he shook her awake. "Shira!" he yelled. "Wake up!"

Shira jumped up, startled. "What is it, Gutt?" she asked.

He got up in her face, eyes narrowed. "Where in the hell is Pinky?"

Her eyes narrowed. "You lost him?"

Then it hit both of them like a pile of rocks. Their badger friend was nowhere to be found – this coupled with Roshan's disappearance lead to one conclusion. He took the baby.

"GUPTA!"

"Ugh, it's so… bhayaanak," said a female badger as she poked Roshan's cheek. "But it is rather pyaara, too, I'll admit."

"Hello, little stroberee," another female badger cooed, pinching his other cheek, but gently to not claw him. "Hello, little ganja ajeeb chalanevaalee bebee…"

Gupta was at a waterhole, where a clan of badgers were bathing at. He thought to bring Roshan and join them, not out of interest of finding a mate – his eyes were already set upon another – but to get some extra directions. Maybe a helping hand with getting the human kid to his tribe, since Shira couldn't do all the work on her own. And perhaps to join them once his mission was done, as a backup in case the 'crew' thing didn't work out when he hit the south.

Two female badgers from the clan, Alia and Kareena, were the first to flock to him – both single females, seeking out a male no doubt. He tried to refuse them, but they stuck around him, curious by Roshan's existence so it seemed. It must have been the first time they'd ever seen a human, he guessed, so he allowed them to stick. Though it was a bit uneasy with how close they were, clinging to his sides as he held the child for them to fawn over. While this was going on, an elder of the clan – Imran – watched from across, an unreadable expression on his face that wasn't making Gupta feel any easier.

"Where did you find it?" asked Kareena.

"His mother washed up on a log near a river," Gupta answered truthfully, a sad look on his face as he recalled Roshan's mother. "She was near death and passed him over to me and … Gutt." He hesitated to say 'friend' because he wasn't sure what the captain considered him as yet, so he played it safe. "So we took him – well really, I took him. Gutt had some issues, what, with him being human and all…"

"Ooh, so kind and generous!" Kareena awed, stroking the male badger's arms. She was wondering why he had a companion called 'Gutt', but chose not to question that seeing as how his sensitive qualities stood out more to her, which was good. Very attractive in a male.

"Well, he needed someone to look out for him," Gupta said as a matter-of-factly. Then, he had a wistful look on his face as he remembered his own family. "And I wish I had my own family…" They were alive, but everyone was separated. His parents remained in his old continent, as they'd been getting old and feared they'd slow down him and his siblings, so they were left in the care of his uncle. Krishna didn't care for his eldest nephew and took the younger ones away. At one point, the lone badger had heard the remark from one of his cousins that the skull-shape that his stripes formed was a symbol that he was worthless – and his sisters were quick to attest to this.

And now look where he was.

"Really?" asked Alia, excited. She was also attracted to sensitivity in a male. "That's really… roopavaan." She tried to calm herself, but the excitement shone through her voice. This one was a keeper.

Gupta cleared his throat awkwardly. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the fact they didn't seem to find him pathetic, but rather the fact that they showed too much interest in him. He was simply not into these two, his heart reserved only for a certain saber with a white pelt – even if her heart didn't seem fully open to him. "I suppose it is a fine quality in a male to care for offspring," he conceded. He felt Roshan wiggle in his arms, and he looked down at him. "What is it, pashushaavak?"

Chapter Text

Sauntering around the barren land, Shira's legs never felt more relaxed as the saber walked alongside her fellow mammal. She felt a cool breeze blow through her cloud-colored fur, not too cold to send shivers but enough to make the heat in her body simmer down.

"And so I said, 'vahaan tum jao, yah utana hee achchha hai jitana naya!'" Gupta grinned as he puffed his chest out. "It was the first time I felt accomplished…" His chest fell soon. "Then he slaps me and yells, 'main chaahata tha ki mera log theek ho, baal katavaane nahin!' And he leaves in a huff. That's when I thought, maybe I should just quit," he sighed.

"Quitting gets you nowhere in life," Shira snorted. Inwardly, she felt a slight pity for the badger though. He was clearly trying to make friends, but it seemed he was unsuccessful at it. A shame, since he seemed alright…for an omnivore. Wait, what am I saying?

"I know that," Gupta said, rolling his eyes. "So I didn't give up. I went on, and I survived that year – and reunited with Uncle Krishna, my cousins and my sisters." Which hadn't been a great reunion, honestly – they'd all screeched about how he shouldn't be there. But he pushed that thought aside as he glanced at Shira. Inside, he sighed dreamily. She had to be the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen. Not to mention, she was so…mysterious, like a labyrinth that needed to be solved. She definitely had to be an alpha in her pack, if she had one that was.

"That's good. Perseverance is an important thing to carry throughout life," Shira said, nodding. "No matter what obstacles life throws at you, you gotta dodge them and keep going. That's how I've lived." Sort of… there was more to it than that, but those details weren't for him to hear. Her sea blue eyes gazed up at the sky. Persevering is the only thing that can keep me from becoming Soto's toy...

Gupta, on the other hand, was preoccupied staring at the large, gorgeous white and black-striped smilodon. That figure, the luscious way her fur shined and reflected her color – and by god, Gupta had never seen such gorgeous eyes before he met Shira.

And the name was so… abnormal. Certainly unusual, but lovely and brilliant at the same time.

Gupta the badger was falling for Shira the tigress.

Sure, he had some crushes before in the past, but it was fleeting, lasting no more than an hour. With Shira? It's definitely more than an hour, Gupta argues two full days and a few hours has he been admiring – no, obsessing over Shira. Her attractive body structure, those smooth movements for those strong legs. Face simply perfect, filled with both wisdom and youthfulness that Shira could easily be around his age.

"Gupta?"

Gupta thought of the obvious, blunt fact he could state. Vah atyant khoobasoorat hai…

"Gupta! Gupta, are ya there? Hellooo?" A paw waved through the chamitataxus' vision, suddenly startling him.

"W-what? What happened?" When he blinked, he found Shira looking directly at him with her slightly concerned blue eyes.

"Nothing exactly 'happened', Gupta. Are you okay? You kind of went blank there." Shira's voice laced with a delicate tone, eyes scanning every inch of Gupta's face to see if anything disruptive occurred. She shouldn't worry over him. She shouldn't care because he was an omnivore, a different species and rank in the life cycle than her, but…she did. Only whatever maker above existed knew why she did.

Gupta internally and blissfully sighed, admiring the smilodon's natural instinct of worry over him – or at least, what he assumed was an instinct. "Nahin, main theek hoon. Let's keep moving, maybe find some mice to catch for breakfast. Sound good?"

A slight relief for Shira, who nodded at the suggestion. She was getting hungry. "Yes, that sounds very nice."

Gupta was positive Shira wasn't born in the valley he resided in before traveling with Gutt. Her voice, mannerisms, everything about her screamed that she was a nomad, native to no area. And he loved it. A new face he could talk to without feeling like a foreign idiot. Besides, a majority of the residents in the valley prior were those who'd turn up their noses and scoff at him, or saw him as lower. Not enough for his, let alone anybody else's interests.

Shira sniffed around the ground to see if there were any mice. She caught a faint scent, one that meant that while they were around, there were few and they weren't too close. "There's some rodents around here, but a bit farther. We'll have to amble around some more, really dig and search," she informed the chamitataxus. "Do you think you can try hunting?"

Gupta thought for a moment. He never really hunted much, but if it meant the chance for a good breakfast and to spend time with such a fine lady… he accepted the challenge. "Yes," he answered, carrying a small bit of confidence in his tone. "I've caught fish and rats before."

For the first time since they'd begun traveling together, Shira found herself relaxing at his voice. The smidge of confidence nearly made her roll her eyes, making her wonder why he suddenly got so confident when prior, he was jumpy and awkward.

Strange, 'cause the awkwardness was almost…cute. In a weird, pathetic sense.

"Alright. Just follow my lead, okay?" Shira instructed her companion.

Gupta nodded, internally smirking at the thought of being alone with the smilodon. Kind of. "You can count on me, Shira."

"Then come on, Gupta," Shira ordered softly, leading the way. It sounded so weird saying that name off her tongue, but Shira liked to hear it. It sounded strangely exotic, which fit since this one wasn't from around these parts.

He quickly followed behind her. There were some questions Shira wanted to ask him, some things she wanted to learn about this guy. But where could she start? How? It's not like she frequently talks to somewhat decent males around her age, let alone one outside of her species, but this could be a perfect chance. She rarely ever came across a guy who didn't treat her either like easily disposable material to lust over – even if she still hesitantly put faith in Soto, since they had spent their childhoods together – or ridicule her.

"I think I saw one move over there."

"Huh?" Shira blinked, and then turned when Gupta pointed his finger at a rocky little place. "Oh, good find!" the saber chuckled nervously. The beating of Gupta's heart in his chest began to turn from rigid movements to fast poundings, making him gulp.

Alright, so he was a bit nervous. Maybe a lot.

The badger led the way towards the narrow area with the carnivore following afterwards. "I guess this hunting thing isn't so hard after all, huh? Kek ka tukada. Right?" Gupta asked while Shira sniffed around the floors until her eyes fell upon a few mice trying to run away.

"Gupta, catch!"

He turned and noticed Shira was chasing one of the mice, while another separated and tried to flee. He yelped and went to chasing the other mouse, cornering it against a boulder and pinning its tail with one of his claws. He winced when he could hear Shira slay the first mouse, before looking down at the remaining one he caught. He closed his eyes, knowing this was necessary – he couldn't live off of just fruits and vegetables – and quickly used his other paw to strike the small rodent down. It was a quick, painless kill.

Eventually, silence emitted itself into the area, making the situation rather…awkward.

Shira looked to Gupta, seeing he'd actually done it – he caught a kill. A smile made its way across her face. "Good job, Gupta," she praised him. "You're now a certified hunter." And she meant it, every single word. She was impressed. For a second, she doubted he would go through with it, but he managed to surprise her. She liked that. She liked that very much.

"I – I am?" he stammered, surprised by the praise. No one ever seemed impressed by his skills, until recently that is. Hearing this from her was like music to his ears, a firm but gentle melody that was sweet as honey, ripe as fresh meat. "Wow."

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's dig in!"

And with that, both omnivore and carnivore dug into the dead mice. He'd eaten mice before many times, but for the badger, this was the first time he really savored the taste – bitter, but juicy. Nice on the taste buds. For the saber on the other hand, the meat tasted oddly sweet – sickly sweet. She tried to ignore the sweetness and focus on the more bitter part, but her taste buds were too overwhelmed by the strange taste. It was foolish, but in those seconds, she silently blamed the chamitataxus' oh so cheery nature.

Once they finished, they wiped their muzzles clean of the blood and headed out, continuing on their walk. Swallowing any nervousness he had in him, Gupta decided to play a little game.

"We should play a game…of questions!" he suggested. "I ask a question, you answer, and then you ask me a question and I answer. Got it? Good. First question: are you enjoying your day?" He played this many times with Mowgli and Rishi before. It could be fun now.

The suddenness of the chamitataxus' statement-yet-question made Shira blink, taking a moment to comprehend the… 'game'? She turned to him and simply stared.

…okay, maybe this wasn't the best idea, but come on. Things were getting a bit – he didn't know how to describe it, nor did he know what to do.

"Oh…um, I'm having an alright day. I'll be honest, it's more fun with you guys than I've had with my own pack – not implying that I was kicked out or left or anything like that but, you know." She gave a brief smile. It wasn't really a lie, per say, just not a full truthful answer. "And I'm supposed to ask a question in return?" When he nodded, she hummed for a second, her paws tapping against the ground. It had taken a moment, but the saber eventually asked, "How long did you live in your old valley?"

"For a year and… two months? I think. Anyway, my turn! What brought you around the waterfall area?" Gupta had guessed the smilodon had been separated from her pack, but never really got the full story of how she ended up wandering around those parts. Something about the baby…something like that.

Shira gave a light grin. "Well," she started as her eyes stared across the distance. "My pack gave me an assignment to hunt for some…" She fumbled over her words, knowing she'd give herself away if she told the full story, so she fibbed. "Antelopes. But the humans had come and went, taking most of the kill. I went to search around, see if there were any left – and instead, I saw that baby. And I felt an instinct to help the kid reunite with his family, like he was a lost cub separated from his pack." She shrugged. "I understand that sounds hard to believe, but it's true." Not really, but you'd hate me if you knew why I wanted the baby.

Ah, a good Samaritan. Interesting, but sad.

"So, how…old are you? Just curious."

Gupta waved at Shira's question with a laugh. "It's fine. I'm eight moons… and a half. What about you?"

Shira's grin grew. "Ten moons and a half." They found themselves laughing. So they were only a few moons apart in age. Interesting… Shira assumed Gupta was much younger, while the latter assumed she was much older. Gupta was about the same age as Zeke, but more likable and mature, and definitely more intelligent than that idiot and the other guys at her old pack.

"So, uh, did you have your own clan?"

"Duh. I used to try to track them each year during migration season. On a side note, it's not really a clan but my family, consisting of my sisters and cousins who are jerks, my uncle who's a bigger jerk, and then my brothers who were the light of the dreck." Something I couldn't be. But Gupta would never say it. "Okay, sixth question: have you ever had any attraction to anybody before?"

Talk about a laughable question, followed by an even more laughable reaction. Shira immediately appeared flabbergasted with absolute shock in her startled eyes, as if such words spewed were a slap to her face. "I…" she hesitated to answer the question.

Wait, could it be that she was one of those loners? Gupta blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, uh, mujhe maaf karen—"

"No! No, it's… it's fine." Was it? She didn't know, but well, this would be the only time she could admit this secret without fearing repercussions. "Um, to answer your question: yes, I have been attracted to someone before. To a…a blue-footed petrel." She was embarrassed to say it, but it was true. When she was about three moons, she came across the young bird, who was about the same age as her. It was a fleeting crush - and friendship - formed by her admiration for him, mainly his ability to fly and his smooth-talking in a language she couldn't recall much of. French, was it? Either way, it was quick, lasting for about a week until he went with his flock to another place far ahead. It was for the best, anyhow… it would have never worked. And it was painfully ironic too, considering she was a tough lieutenant yet her first attraction wasn't to her own species, but prey. How embarrassing. Thank god no one in her pack knew, or else…

"Um, what about you?"

"Oh I've had several…but it never lasted long." Gupta grinned when he saw Shira's blush deepening. "And it was interspecies too, so don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." He winked at her. Inside, he leapt with joy, knowing he had a slight chance with her since she apparently wasn't restricted to same species either… yes!

"I see." At least she wasn't alone. Shira then coughed. "What's life been like for you in the valley?"

"Honestly not that great. Too many stuck up people, barely any legitimate folks to trust, the bigger herbivores and omnivores pick on me and carnivores laugh at me… and there's not many other badgers that aren't bigoted douches. Every season was shit. Trading is near impossible because they want something from me that I can't even obtain without—"

"Okay, okay – I think I get it now." Shira felt a strange sense of kinship with this badger. She really felt the pain in his voice as he ranted about his old life, knowing how it felt in a sense, even if hers wasn't much similar.

Gupta had a bitter smile now. He wished he'd had a much easier life like Shira had, seemingly perfect and easy. So sad he was born a lowly omnivore. He kind of wished he was also a tiger. Maybe he could've had her as a friend. Maybe he could've impressed his family. Maybe his life would be brighter. But alas, he was a badger – a lonely badger.

He chose to ask a more simpler question, "What's your favorite food?"

That was easy for Shira to answer. "Antelope. Yours?"

"I don't really have a favorite. Most of the food I usually eat is fruit I scrounge for and small meats like insects, mice and fish. Sometimes tiny bird eggs, but only when the parents are out of sight. Don't get me started on plants… flowers can sometimes be delicious. Dandelions are the best." The memories of eating that one dandelion penetrated his mind, making Gupta shudder as he recalled the aftermath. Great, now his fears of those two rhinos have returned!

Shira slightly chuckled. "I understand. I can't be entirely picky, either. Fish, mice, poultry, deers – food is food. Take what you can get." We gave a lot more in common than we think…huh. Upon this realization, they continued with their little game of questions, asking about other sorts of things.

Then it got to a point where—

"So why do you keep up the act?"

The chamitataxus tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean? I'm being genuine."

Shira's blue eyes rolled, and she sighed. "Are you always so overly sweet? Stupidly nice?" Not that it bothered her as much as it did before, but it was kind of irritating that he was so kind to her, Gutt and Roshan all the time. No, she wasn't particularly good with mannerisms, but the badger should relax. They're both much younger than the gigantopithecus – who she thinks is fifteen moons; monkeys lived much longer than both their species' combined – and they should make the most of this free time they have, live and have fun. Not act like goody-two-shoes.

"Well, my pita jee and maan always raised me to be nice to those who don't cross me. I'm accustomed to being structured this way… um, my bad?"

"Hm, that brings an interesting question. What's your life before coming to this continent?" Shira flicked aside a pebble.

"My life was pretty average, I guess. Lived in a jungle in the southern seas, a lively but homely area. I had two parents – father and mother were the providers, and I would babysit my siblings pretty frequently. Actually, it's because of my father and mother that I'm herein this continent…they wanted us to have a good life," Gupta chuckled softly, contrast to his eyes narrowing in thought. Some life it turned out to be.

It made Shira incredibly curious, but she withheld herself from asking further. After all, gotta play fair, right?

"What's your life before this trip been like?"

… life before this journey? Shira could remember, but she didn't want to. It was too bitter.

The silence made Gupta frown. "You don't have to tell me if it's uncomfortable," he said.

Shira shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Life before this journey wasn't…all cut out to be, actually. I lived in a pack of many sabers, and we were well off at the start. Two parents, father was a hunter and mother stayed in the den to raise me – and I was an only child. The closest thing I had to a brother was Soto, the son of the former pack leader." She paused, thinking about all the times she played with Soto when they were cubs. It seemed so promising at the start, but when they reached adulthood… the fun boy she knew turned into something else, something entirely different. It was tough to stomach, knowing he went from a playmate to an unwanted suitor, yet she still clung to him because without him, where else could she go? She'd be dead, just like … just like her parents.

"But the other sabers weren't happy about my fur color and the fact I was a female alpha. Bluntly speaking, I was the opposite of an ideal pack member, and I mean complete opposite. They distasted my presence and often ridiculed me. It's really depressing, you know? Having elders scoff at you, fellow cubs act like you're a freak or a worthless runt… because you're a girl with a different color. So when Soto's father died a couple of years ago and he assumed leadership, he appointed me his lieutenant and… I was hated even more. Called me Snow White, belittled my position – and it just kept getting worse. The ultimate kick in the gut was when… my parents, they…" God, the sudden emotions from years before started to plague her subconscious.

Hated. Scorned. Alone. Disgraced.

Shira felt herself relishing the memories, making the game feel… dull. Unconsciously, her claws dug into the ground for comfort, but nothing soothed the pained heart beating in her chest.

And then she felt a hand on her foreleg. "I'm – I'm sorry," she heard the badger say. Suddenly, she laughed. "Sorry? How's that going to change anything?" What do you know? You haven't even heard the full thing! She wanted to slap his hand away and cower in sadness, like a stupid little cub sobbing over something trivial. But no, this goodie-nice foreign omnivore wanted to comfort her on her problems! So cliché, so ridiculous…

"I shouldn't have asked—"

"Too late, badger boy! You asked and I answered. Now that we're on depressing things, I'll ask you a depressing question. Did you ever feel unwanted? Hated and, well, emotionally abandoned?" She was curious about the chamitataxus' emotional conflicts during his life. Did he ever feel as low as she had? Or did he just whine to whoever was near? Actually, that would be funnier than anything else.

"Yes. Yes, I have… I think we all go through some kind of pain, no matter how bad it is. It's just – it's a way of life, you know? While I was abandoned – actually, many times I was abandoned. It's just that now I've accepted it. I know that my extended family doesn't want me, that my brothers and parents were the only ones who gave a damn about me. You don't know how many times in life I've pondered my existence, doubted my purpose so much due to my failures, my faults and my mistakes. Just because my family is alive doesn't mean my life's been a stroll in the park.

"But … I had perseverance, and I latched onto anchors to assist me during the rough spots."

She could feel his hand tighten on her 'arm'. "And Shira, I'm ready to help you through any pain you're going through." She could see the way his dark brown eyes shone with sincerity, a firm yet encouraging smile that made the smilodon's heart almost skip a beat.

"…did you ever have a mate?"

Why would you ask that? You idiot, he's just a—

Gupta blinked. "What?"

He took his hand off her foreleg, staring. Did she just ask if I have a…?

"I – sorry, that's my bad," she scrambled to clear up the awkwardness. Stupid, stupid, stupid… you're supposed to be a tough, fierce one. Not a giddy little girl. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She blamed him for making her let her guard down, because now she was acting like … this.

"You were supposed to ask a question, but—"

"I've never…been in a relationship before," he chuckled nervously. "I thought that was pretty obvious."

Oh.

Oh.

At this, she felt strange…yet at ease. So this overtly sappy one hadn't been snatched up by any females yet? How curious.

"Are you mated yet, Shira?" Gupta questioned, preparing himself for the plausible 'yes' that would shatter any dreams he had.

But she shook her head, to his surprise, and she said, "No. I'm still unclaimed." And it would stay that way.

He smiled. So maybe, just maybe, this could work. If things went right, perhaps … they could try something. Only time would tell.

"Now I'm going to ask you two questions now. Don't argue with me on this. What's your preference in females, and finally, what's your favorite color?"

Gupta relaxed even more at this, musing quietly. "… I fancy strong willed females…"

She was strong-willed…

"I like prettiness. Suppose I'm attracted to… entertaining ones?"

She wasn't pretty, no – she was a high-ranking member of her pack. 'Pretty' was not in her nature. But entertaining? Maybe.

"And I do enjoy a female's ambitions."

She was ambitious, sometimes.

"And did you say favorite color?" The saber nodded at the badger's question and he sighed. "Well, my favorite colors are a little…strange, but it's blue. Abnormal, yes? Expected me to say the obvious black and white?" he asked, amused.

"Yes," Shira admitted. "I'm sure you'll be asking the same questions, so I'll just answer them for you. I like a male that's genuine, and not so cocky or too…forceful. Not too over the top but a guy who expresses himself without lying. A guy that's got good intentions. And my favorite color is…" she trailed off, hesitating. "Well, I don't know, honestly." But inside, she immediately knew by looking at Gupta right now that her favorite colors were black and white.

Because black and white suited him well.

Gupta cleared his throat. "The question game is over! Thank you for participating and I pray we'll have another game to play sometime soon, yeah?" He began to rush forward, walking ahead of the smilodon. Glancing back at her for a moment, he felt himself sharply inhale. She was staring at him with a glint in her eyes, one that he couldn't tell what it was. But it was something good, he knew that was sure – and the thought just made him tremble in anxiousness.

"Yes, we'll play again soon." Shira's eyes twinkled.

Gupta held his gaze for a moment, thinking maybe... he thought he could feign maybe even a small smile back at her, but he found that he couldn't. Not wanting to risk anything happening, the badger ran off down the road, trying his best to get the image of Shira's smile out of his mind.

Too bad he hadn't been looking where he was going, his eyes shut tight, because otherwise he wouldn't have ended up slamming right into the backlegs of one familiar rhino.

"Carl?"

His eyes snapped open and he looked up, gasping in fright as his eyes laid upon the two rhinos from days ago.

"Easy, Frank."

They growled and the badger shrieked.

"I don't get it."

Gutt shook his head while Roshan clung to his back like a baby monkey would, giggling as he played with the gigantopithecus' pirate hat-like hair. "How did you and your mother end up in the river?" he asked, confused. He never quite got the child's story, and with the mother gone…any traces or clues as to what could've happen to lead to her sacrifice and the separation from the tribe were gone with her.

All that was left was the baby. A baby who couldn't comprehend much of the world around him, a child too innocent for his own good.

Much like how the gigantopithecus used to be.

Gutt shuddered, not only haunted by memories of his past, but of the mother's last words to him. "Thank you," she'd said, before letting the river's currents sweep her away. Why though? Why had she trusted him with her son? Of all creatures, it had to be him? He couldn't understand it. Sure, Pinky was better off with an herbivore than say, a carnivore - even if Shira hadn't done anything yet, he couldn't trust her fully - but still.

He wasn't … he wasn't the right mammal to take care of this kid. He had the paternal instinct, but he lacked the experience – and he wasn't sure if he could do this. His past with humans, the fact he would have to face Roshan's father – all of that was constantly burdening his shoulders, his thoughts, everything.

What would happen when they got to the tribe?

Would he face the spears of the tribesmen? Would they kill him just as his wife, parents and unborn child had been? Or would they spare him? He wasn't sure, and he could never be certain until the moment came.

And he wasn't particularly looking forward to it, even if he knew it was the right thing to do. To face the species that killed his family… even if it most likely wasn't the same tribe, it was still a task that was draining.

Gutt's thoughts were cut off by Roshan's gurgling, followed by a yanking of his hair. "Ow! Hey Pinky, watch – huh?" The gigantopithecus' eyes traveled to see … Gupta in Shira's jaws.

"SHIRA! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Gupta panted as he ran from the stampeding rhino duo, letting out a yelp as he bumped into Shira. "Woah!" he breathed a sigh of relief when he laid his eyes upon her. "Thank god, you're here!"

"Gupta, what are you—?" Shira started in confusion, only to get interrupted.

"Oh no! A tigress, help!" Gupta gave a faux cry of fear, trying to sell the act that he'd been captured by a saber. If they thought he was dead, they wouldn't bother him anymore.

"What are you doing?" Shira demanded, eyes narrowed. Something was going on, and she didn't like it.

"I'll explain later. Just put me in your mouth, hurry!" He proceeded to pretend she was devouring him. "OH NO, SHE'S GOT ME! HELP! OHHHH THE PAIN, AH, IT HURTS!"

Shira glared at him. "Look, I don't know what the hell is your problem, but I'm not partaking in your weird fantasies," she growled. Then she began to walk away, wondering what had gotten into him. Minutes ago, they were enjoying a nice game of questions, and now? He had this strange fantasy of wanting her to eat him. She felt pissed and... upset. Very upset. More than she should have been.

"Went this way! Over here!"

Gupta's eyes widened, and he knew he had to do something fast or else he'd be crushed. So he uttered a quick I'm sorry and went to yank the tigress' tail. Shira's pupils dilated and a rage overwhelmed her, making her let out a roar and —

Frank and Carl skid to a stop, seeing the saberess had the chamitataxus in her mouth, seemingly clamping her jaws around his neck.

"Oh Carl, a tigress has beaten us to him! A white one too. Why is it the uncommon predators that triumph?"

"Wait a minute. Hold that thought, Frank."

Carl sniffed Gupta, trying to see if he really was dead. He backed away a few inches, irritated by the badger's stench - tainted with the smell of human, ape, saber, fish and mixed with saliva. Shira looked at him, as if she was trying to claim Gupta as her own kill. Seeing that he and Frank were too late, Carl turned around.

"He's dead alright."

"Oh, carnivorous females always get to the pipsqueaks first!"

Gupta breathed a sigh of relief, 'reviving' from playing dead. "I hate to be a heartbreaker, but you know, I didn't want to die so…" He pulled his head out of the tigress' grasp, but couldn't - and he began to sweat nervously. "Um, thank you, Shira, but really... you can, uh, put me down now…" He tried to pry her jaws off his neck. "Shira, please—"

"SHIRA! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

Both looked ahead to see Gutt rushing over to them, Roshan's arms wrapped around the monkey's neck. "SPIT HIM OUT NOW!" the gigantopithecus ordered, raising a hand, ready to strike.

Shira did just that, and Gupta fell to the ground with a cry. "I can explain," the smilodon began. "See, we were walking, but then after a game, this guy runs off to do god knows what—"

"Save it, kitty cat!" Gutt yelled, swatting at the air, inches away from her muzzle. "I saw what you were doing! You can't fool me. I know that you were trying to—"

"Captain, she wasn't trying to eat me."

Both looked at him, surprised in their own ways. Gupta sighed and began to explain, "After the game, I felt...shy, so I ran off. But then I bumped into those rhinos, and they chased me until I bumped into Shira, and so I tried to make it look like she was making me her next meal so those two would leave me alone." He shrugged. "It worked, but then I tried to pull out and—"

"I didn't let you go at first because I was- and still am- mad at you for yanking my tail," Shira interrupted, voice filled with an upset tone neither males recognized. "That's what the guys used to do to me in my pack. I don't... like that…" She frowned as she trailed off.

"I'm sorry," Gupta apologized softly. "I just – I had to get them off my back somehow."

"Could've explained it to me first. I'd have fought them off for you," said the saberess softly, turning away from him.

"I didn't...think of that," the badger admitted. He blinked, then, "Look, I promise I'll make it up to you somehow, alright? Just...please, I... Shira." Don't turn on me. Don't despise me. He couldn't have another —

"Fine. You get a chance." Shira looked to Gutt. "And as for you..."

Gutt let out his own sigh. "Okay, so I misjudged and jumped to conclusions... but what else am I supposed to think when you have him right in your jaws?" he asked rhetorically. When she gave him a blank stare, he threw his hands up. "Alright, alright - I was wrong! I admit it. There, happy now?"

"That's better," said Shira simply, a small smile forming on her face. She held her head up high and began to walk off. "Now come along, boys. We're in a hurry now, aren't we?"

Gutt groaned and rolled his eyes. "Tigresses. Can't live with them, can't live without them - such is life." Roshan tapped the monkey's forehead, cooing. "Yeah, yeah, I know kid... come on." He began to follow the saberess.

Gupta stood there for a few seconds, not sure if he should feel ashamed or smitten. Attraction was a bizarre thing.

Maybe I should just surrender, he thought, before running to catch up.

Chapter Text

"Come on, wait up! Prateeksha karana! Can't you just slow down for a second? Hey, guys!"

It took a while for the badger to catch up to his companions, but he eventually did. "Phew! Thanks for waiting," he panted, once he finally made it to them. He plopped down belly first onto a little rock… or so it appeared to be one.

Gutt and Shira knew better though, and glanced at one another. "Three," they began counting down in unison. "Two, one…" They looked back at Gupta, smirks forming on their faces.

The geyser went off and up went Gupta into the air, shrieking. Roshan giggled and clapped, while the two mammals rolled their eyes, amused. "Sure is loyal," Gutt remarked.

"Just like a wolf pup," Shira added.

Once the water burst was done, Gupta fell back down, letting out an "eek."

Gupta was tasked with holding Roshan, and he did so with ease.

Out of curiosity, Roshan poked the badger. The fur felt a bit different than the coat his mother wore, or his father's. It was a bit rough, but also soft — unlike the monkey's, which was just rough but still nice enough to rest in. He wondered how the saber felt, but she didn't seem willing to let him near and was a bit too… strange… at the moment, so he chose to poke Gupta again instead.

Gupta smirked, deciding to play along with the 'game'. He jabbed his finger at the baby, careful not to poke too hard. However, this resulted in the little boy poking even harder.

Well, two could play at this game, thought the chamitataxus. He poked him again, just as hard— with a bit more restraint, of course. Eventually, it turned into a poking war.

Hearing the baby's gurgles of frustration, Gutt gritted his teeth, eyes narrowing. "Don't make me turn around and whip you into shape!" he threatened, shaking a fist at the chamitataxus.

"But he—"

"I don't care who was bothering who first," snarled Gutt. "I'll finish the damn fight, if you keep pushing it!"

"Language, monkey boy," Shira scolded playfully, amused by the whole thing. It was strangely cute to see them all like this, almost like watching the cubs back in her pack, alongside a— wait, no, what the hell are you thinking. Get a grip, Shira. She couldn't help but tease though. "Pinkster's near the age where he'll start learning to talk. He might pick up on your speech habits."

"Better he picks up from me than you," Gutt snorted, though this made him smile slightly. It didn't sound much like an insult but rather, a genuine playful comment. Strange, considering the saber was usually so full of herself, so stern and serious…but it seemed ever since their little nightly talk, she began to be less crass and more — soft, perhaps? Maybe it wasn't the right word but hey, he liked whatever this current state of her was. "…kitty cat."

Shira shoved him in a playful manner. "Hey, who gave you the right to call me that now?" she asked, smirking.

He smirked back at her. "I did?" he answered, raising a brow in amusement. "Just like how you gave yourself the right to call me monkey boy."

"Oye, don't get too cheeky now."

"You started it."

"Well now I'm finishing it!"

"Sure, tell yourself that, kitty."

"No, you tell yourself that, monkey boy!"

He playfully reached for her, only for her to laugh and duck out of his reach, running ahead. "Hey, get back here!" he yelled, racing after her.

Gupta and Roshan stopped their fight, blinking. "What just happened?" asked the badger, to which the infant shrugged.

The group kept going on their walk. They stopped upon seeing a geyser blow out a red colored amount of steam. Before they could do something, they saw a huge glacier rolling past them. It was like a glacier train.

"What's that all about?" Gutt asked Shira.

The saber shrugged. "Don't know. Maybe someone called for some ice cold brew?" she joked.

The gigantopithecus laughed. "In that case, I'd like three!"

Both mammals snickered, while the third simply exchanged confused looks with the baby. "You two are acting weird," remarked Gupta, squinting at both.

Roshan let out a coo in agreement. "Abububa!"

After the glacier rolled by, the geyser blew out a green colored amount of steam. A little confused, but not worried, the group continued on. They travelled past a giant slab of ice that went down onto a cliff as a result of the group's weight.

But the slab went back up like a seesaw, causing Gupta, the only member left, to fly back where he came.

Later on, with Gupta back with them, the group continued their journey.

Gupta, having an idea to entertain himself, picked up a snowball and threw it at Gutt. "Hey captain, catch!"

The snowball hit the gigantopithecus' back, making him turn and glare daggers at the badger. The smaller mammal gulped and tried to hide his face behind Roshan.

Gutt growled, marching up to the badger, footsteps hasty. His umber eyes burned with a rage, one not to be trifled with. "You're lucky Pinky's here, because if he wasn't, I'd turn you into a—!"

Shira suddenly moved between the two mammals, wedging herself in. "There's no need for this now," she said, frowning. "If we stall over mere snowball fights, we'll lose time, and we cannot afford that now." I can't afford that. "So let's try and cool down a bit, alright?"

"L-listen to the saberess!" Gupta sputtered, quickly nodding in agreement. "She's got the right idea!"

Gutt glanced at Shira. "Oh, so you're the leader now?" he questioned, a bit of a crass tone in his voice. I don't think so, tigress.

Her brow furrowed. "I'm merely giving you advice," she stated. "You look like you could use it."

"I don't need you to tell me to—" he halted, staring at the feline with a different set of eyes. It just clicked right then and there that she had a point, actually. The more deterrence by pointless fights, the more stalling, and then there'd be time lost when that could be spent continuing to Glacier Pass. She was…smart. And, now that he thought about it, she was the only one to really be firm and stand up to him too— in a way that hadn't left him feeling enraged, ready to rebel and stand firm in his own side.

"…perhaps you're right," he drawled, with what he felt like something between a lip purse and a light grin form at the corners of his mouth. Smart, fiery little lass, aren't we?

Shira blinked, taking a step back in disbelief. She hadn't expected him to actually agree with her. He was usually so stubborn, so brash, so … so gutsy. But now, here he was, agreeing with her statement. To say she was shocked was an understatement. Yet she couldn't help but have a small smile slither on her face. Glad you can see it my way, captain, she said silently.

Of course, she wouldn't say it aloud. He didn't need an ego stroke with the word 'captain', plus she'd be sounding like Gupta, and she wasn't going to kiss the ground Gutt walked upon. She didn't owe him anything. In fact, he owed her the child, which she actually needed from him.

"Come on, let's keep moving," Gutt spoke gruffly to the group, quickly changing his tone back to his regular one for a second. As he walked ahead, with his companions following, his eyes reverted to the snow-furred saber.

Blue met umber and for a second, Shira swore she could've seen a smile slither onto his face. His next words were the biggest surprise to her.

"No one's ever stood up to me like that before. You've got guts, kitten, I'll give ya that."

His sternness and anger seemed to subside into a strange brief admiration, maybe even… something else? Shira wasn't sure. The dark eyes of the gigantopithecus seemed to scan her briefly, and oddly enough she felt self-conscious.

What? Did she actually seem…bold to this big ape?

While Gutt seemed to give a rather generous gaze over her, Shira figured it wouldn't hurt to give a gentle stare over — wait, no! She stopped, realizing that it wasn't appropriate. This isn't how high ranking pack members act around herbivores. Very inappropriate.

Gutt made a gesture, motioning for the saber to move ahead. "Ladies first," he cooed rather teasingly.

Shira smirked and hummed, deciding to follow the ape's words. She twisted her body to go forward, giving him a good look at her lower form, hips swinging and her persona flaring.

She had quite the spunk, he would admit, albeit silently to himself. Maybe she wasn't such a bad addition, after all…

The smile on the gigantopithecus' face grew more.

The group walked past a monument that looked a lot like Stonehenge.

"Modern architecture," Gutt remarked as he went by. "It's gonna go under just like the rest of this world."

Shira saw a saber footprint in the snow. Her eyes went wide and a fear rushed through her. If Gutt saw, he would catch onto her, discover her plan — and she couldn't afford to lose everything and return empty-handed. So she quickly went to making the footprint look closer to a human's foot.

When Gutt and Gupta caught up to her, she gestured to the footprint, then ahead.

The gigantopithecus' eyes widened and he grinned. "We're close!" he cried, relieved. He patted Shira's back. "Good find, kitten."

A purr escaped from Shira's throat, and she cursed herself. But this praise felt rather nice, and … different, somehow.

Then there was the frozen pond.

Gutt struggled to balance himself, whether it be bipedal or on all fours. He couldn't find any rhythm or serenity inside him.

Gupta skated by like a ski-player, holding two branches to balance him, with Roshan clinging to his back. "Hello, Gutt." He skated over to Shira, who faired slightly better. "Hi, Shira." He did a spin, only to bump into a tree.

The two mammals passed by, with Roshan now on Gutt's back. "Hey, Gupta," both said in unison, nonchalant. They looked to each other. "Such a showoff."

They paused, silent for a few seconds before Shira giggled. "Guess we're not too different," she joked.

Gutt had an amused look. "Maybe we aren't."

Surprisingly, they found one another more agreeable with each day that passed. This wasn't so bad, after all.

Shira only wished it could last longer.

"You're lost, aren't you?" Gutt asked Shira as the trio found themselves at a three pathway dead-end, or so it seemed. It was only a dead end in terms of they had no idea of where to go, and it seemed the tracker was about as clued in as the other two were — which was to say, not at all.

"N-no, I know where we are," Shira lied. She didn't know, had no clue really, but could she tell the truth? She grew accustomed to lying or fibbing slightly, so to tell a full truth seemed too hard, even for her. She had to figure a way out, had to find a path that was sure to lead them in the right direction. She needed to, if she wanted to —

Gutt stared. "You stammered."

A pause. "… did I?"

"Yes, you did."

"O-oh."

Gutt gestured to a certain saber-toothed squirrel digging. "Ask her for directions."

Shira's eyes narrowed, feeling her proud nature being challenged… and insulted. She didn't like that. "No, I don't need to ask some measly little squirrel for directions," she hissed, trying to hide the hurt in her voice. Did he really underestimate her? Did he think she was stupid, incapable of finding the way herself? She was a tracker, a top ranker in her pack! She could do this without needing to ask—

"Alright, I'll ask then," said Gutt, sighing. He could understand the hesitation, the fear of being wrong… or seen as idiotic. He knew how crushing it could feel at times, but still, they needed to get to their destination — and without directions, that was impossible. He went to Scratte and asked her, "Hey, squirrel girl, see any humans go by here?"

Scratte rubbed her head in confusion. She shook it and uttered something no one could understand.

Gupta mistook the gestures the squirrel made afterwords as a game. "A game, oh I love those! Three words…" Seeing her stomp, he guessed, "Stamp?"

Gutt joined in. "Now's my turn." Seeing Scratte mimic a prowl, he guessed, "Pack?"

"Good one, captain!" Seeing the squirrel's further gestures, Gupta guessed, "Pack of long-tooth, clawed…"

Shira grew nervous. If they guessed sabers, she was dead.

"Pack of wolves?"

"Pack of bears?"

Scratte grunted and pointed at Shira.

"Pachyderms?"

"But those are mammoths. Mammoths don't have claws — they're herbivores."

"Well, sloths have claws. And I have claws."

"They're omnivores! They need those for the meat of their diet. As for you, well, I'm assuming there's more to your name and those claws are a part of that…"

"When you're an herbivore on your own for so long, you need to defend yourself."

As the badger and gigantopithecus' guesses turned into a conversation, Scratte screeched and kept pointing at Shira. The saber grew annoyed and smacked the squirrel away, sending her flying.

"So you admit you've killed, just like Shira has?" Gupta asked Gutt. "And yet you were hesitant around her despite—"

"I didn't kill to eat," Gutt interrupted, eyes hard and cold. "I killed to survive."

"And you think she hasn't?" Gupta asked, frowning at the larger mammal. "You can't judge her, just because she's a hunter. It's part of her blood, her ticket to surviving this harsh world, just like you and your claws and your own skills. You are two sides of the same rock, so why do you treat her the way you do?"

Gutt was confused. "What do you mean?" He couldn't possibly…

"You're so quick to assume the worst of her," Gupta elaborated, frustration in his voice. God… and the monkey thought he was the dense one… "You thought she was attacking me. You think she's ready to strike any moment, even when she's never so much as tried to. She hasn't proven to be anything but a decent tracker. Yet you treat her like she's no better than those rhinos."

Gutt breathed in, fists balling up. How could he explain his issues with hunters? How could he explain that hunters are the reason he lost his entire family — his parents, his unborn child, his mate? His heart was closed, hardened for this reason alone. To grow close to someone was hard, and yet he was finding himself drifting to this saber… a hunter… and it was paining him, how bittersweet it was. To laugh and play around with her, yet to know at the same time he couldn't be too trusting, couldn't open his heart too much — and he hated it. He resented himself and for a moment, he resented her too, for starting this.

For a second, he wished he could've chased her off back at the abandoned village. But when that second passed, there was immediate regret and he scolded himself for sounding so selfish, so uncaring… and he didn't understand, why did this saber make things so complicating?

"You need to give her a chance. Let her prove herself." Gupta smiled slightly. "Just like how you proved yourself to me when you rescued me, and when you agreed to help Roshan."

Gutt paused and looked at the child who now clung to his shoulders, laughing and giggling. He hated to admit it, but maybe… just maybe… the chamitataxus was onto something. "Fine," he relented, and looked to where the saber was. He noticed the squirrel was gone, though. "Hey, Shira, where'd squirrel girl go?"

Shira shrugged and said, "Somewhere. Don't know where, but…she's gone."

Probably grew tired of the game, Gutt thought, shrugging his own shoulders. He couldn't blame her. Shira must've been tired too… "So," he cleared his throat. "Have you found a way?"

Shira nodded. "I think the middle road seems the most promising," she answered, truthful as she could be. "If we go through there, we should be closer to Glacier Pass."

He gestured for her to go ahead. "Then lead the way, lass."

She smiled. "Aye aye," she said, walking ahead.

The boys followed behind her, and Gupta nudged Gutt. "See, she's not incorrigible," he whispered to him. "You just have to give her some—"

"You're saying that as if I'm pursuing her," Gutt said, praying these words would get the badger off his back. It seemed to work, as the smaller mammal went silent, eyes blank.

But as he looked ahead, Gutt saw Shira's hips swaying again, and he found a lump in his throat. What are you doing to me, tigress?

This wasn't okay. He never behaved like this before. It wasn't the way it should be at all. Herbivores didn't — a smilodon and a gigantopithecus couldn't — he couldn't... but he was, and it felt so strange. He wasn't afraid of her, not really, but of himself. He was ashamed of his thoughts, of himself. This wasn't right. It just wasn't right.

But then why did it felt nice?

Scratte's body rolled into a snowball, which tumbled down a hill and in front of Roshan and Gupta. This gave the badger an idea. He placed Roshan on a rock and made a snowball, then tossed at Gutt. "Captain, go high!"

It hit the back of Gutt's head this time. He turned, and Roshan pointed to Gupta. "Abubaba guga," he babbled.

Gupta yelped as a snowball hit him. Roshan laughed, but stopped when he looked at Gutt.

Gutt felt his heart thaw a bit, seeing the baby happy. He was a precious lad, he'd admit. His father was lucky to have a son like him. The ape smiled, showing a bit of his teeth, and Roshan smiled back.

Shira saw this and felt a pang in her heart. Moments like these were fleeting, not everlasting like she prayed they were. The sweetness would fade soon and within days, the childhood innocence she saw in Roshan, the one she lost long ago, would be tarnished — killed entirely. And it would all be because of her.

At this, the smilodon watched in silence. She watched his silence, and she pondered.

Well, I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl, we will
I would like to hold my little hand
And we will run, we will, we will crawl

Send me on my way

However, this adventure was not without serious cold problems. A blizzard hit them and they were shivering. But they kept on going, unwilling to stop.

Shira led them through the blizzard, getting some ice on her fangs. Gutt on the other hand had icicles growing on his claws while he had Roshan ride on his back. Gupta had icicles on his nose as he shivered in the freezing cold.

They couldn't stay in the cold for this long, Shira knew. They'd freeze to death if they didn't warm up somewhere, especially the kid. Shelter… where to find shelter…? she wondered as she squinted, trying to spot any signs of a cave up ahead, and surely enough she did.

"Hey, Gutt!" she called to the gigantopithecus. "We should rest over there in that cave! That way, we won't end up being a couple of ice statues." She pointed her nose ahead.

Gutt squinted and through the blizzard, he faintly spotted the cave. He breathed a sigh of relief and looked to the shivering infant on his back. "Don't worry, Pinky, you won't be cold any longer," he said softly, as if speaking to his own child. It was hard to admit, but he found himself a little…attached to the kid. It had been out of sympathy at first and an instinct to keep him away from any harm, but now — well, it was turning into more than just that. Not that he'd fully acknowledge that.

Not yet at least. But still, the gigantopithecus was concerned about the child's well-being as they'd been trudging through the blizzard, knowing how he must've been freezing… at least soon, he'd be warm.

"Lead the way," Gutt ordered softly.

The saber nodded and did just that, leading them to the cave. Once inside, the three mammals shook off the snow and ice from their bodies, while Gutt carefully plucked out a pile of snow from the back of Roshan's shirt. The baby shivered and instinctively, Gutt pulled him close for warmth.

Gupta winced as he pulled the icicle off his nose. "Ow! Thank god we've got ourselves the best tracker there is, or else we'd be goners. Right, captain?" he asked Gutt.

Gutt didn't register the question at first as he tried to soothe the human child, carefully rocking him in his arms. Just as Roshan seemed to calm down, burying himself in the monkey's fur, no longer shivering, did the ape realize what he'd been asked. "Oh. I…guess so," he said slowly. He looked at Shira, who had managed to scrape the ice off her teeth. In the dim lights of the cave, her white and black-striped coat seem to shimmer, almost. She looked so elegant, yet so mysterious — a curious case. He should have been wary but instead, he felt a sense of gratitude. She did lead them out of the cold to a more warmer place. "Thank you, Shira."

Shira was surprised by this, but tried to keep a calmed expression. They had been slowly warming up to each other, but his praise felt new to her still… and so odd. It was different from the way Soto praised her — more honest and sincere, like the gigantopithecus truly meant it. That he saw her beyond what she could provide him. Something she never saw before from anybody, not until now. "You're welcome, Gutt."

Gupta clasped his hands together, pleased with this. They weren't arguing and they seemed to be getting along. Good. Things were going really well. He had to give some credit to himself, mostly — he wasn't the most intelligent, but he knew how to sort things out fairly, level things between the herbivore and carnivore. Now, it was up to them to make sure this arrangement didn't go haywire as right now, he felt rather tired.

"Goodnight, Shira. Goodnight, captain," he yawned. And with that, he curled up and drifted off to sleep.

The warmth of the ape's fur and being rocked back and forth in his arms should've lulled Roshan to sleep— and under normal circumstances, it would have, if only he hadn't been reminded of his father's embrace. But remind him of his father the monkey did, the consequence of having such a creature as a current caretaker, so he dozed in fits and starts. A full, proper sleep eluded him, as his mind swept with memories of papa. He tried to distract his growing worries about his papa, how he was doing, by listening in on the conversation happening next to him.

Shira and Gutt thought Roshan was asleep, neither checking as their eyes were set upon each other. And if they glanced, well, he'd just close his eyes and pretend he was. If they assumed he was asleep, just because his eyes weren't open… well, that wasn't his fault, was it? Of course not. And it wasn't really lying for him to keep his eyes closed. He was only eight months old, after all. He needed his rest.

"I don't think my pack would've allowed me to lead them this far," Shira was musing aloud. "I think they would have thought I'm unqualified to do such a thing. Zeke would have been too scared, and I think Oscar would've mocked me… and—" she stopped before she could bring up Soto, the name dying on her tongue. He wouldn't have enough faith or patience in me, she thought bitterly. He'd say I wasn't needed for this. Then again, he only saw her useful for two things…one of which she was dodging.

"So would my old troop," Gutt agreed, laughing softly. "But it doesn't mean anything when they scorn you. It just makes them idiots, not you. Most people underestimate me all the time, thinking I'm just some monkey…"

"True, but… the fact of the matter is, you've never done any of that. You didn't laugh, didn't tell me I was crazy — you didn't even scold me when I had issue with directions. You let me lead anyway." Roshan could sense the frown in the saber's voice. "Why?"

For a few long seconds, the only sound heard in the cave was the gentle snores from their badger companion. Roshan fought back the urge to crack open his eyes to peek at what was happening. He felt Gutt shift uncomfortably.

"Sometimes," Gutt began very quietly, very slowly, "when we're doubted…that's when we need someone's faith the most."

Another pause, shorter this time. "That's … actually rather profound. Who said that?"

"I just did, tigress. Weren't you listening?"

"No, no, no," Shira chuckled. "I meant, who were you quoting?"

When Gutt replied, his voice sounded a bit strange, a bit off. "I wasn't quoting anybody, Shira. I was just talking."

"O-oh…"

The urge to peek finally grew too strong, and Roshan cracked open his left eye just a smidge. He saw Shira sitting forward, frowning deeply and staring ahead. She licked her lips, which he recognized from observing his mother as some nervous habit adults had. Mama always did that when she was …

Well, it was something mama used to do a lot. Not so much anymore, though. Not when papa would comfort her more.

After licking her lips again, Shira started speaking in a high, reedy voice: "I'm sorry, Gutt. For being cold, for being too cocky, for getting us sidetracked, for—for—for—"

Hyperventilating. She was on the verge of hyperventilating, and she wished her father was here to reach to her, to open his mouth to whisper to her the words he knew by heart, the words that would calm her down. And this vivid memory was halted dead in its tracks when a hand pressed up against her muzzle.

"Shh. It's okay, kitten." Then the baby was placed next to the sleeping Gupta, who curled his tail up to the child, and a second hand came into the tigress' view. Together, the ape's hands cupped her face and began stroking her cheeks. "Everything's okay now, right? We're all here, and we're getting close to the Pass. We're almost there."

Shira clamped shut her eyes, as if in pain. "B-but…but…"

"And we're okay," continued Gutt, voice growing strangely light, gently coaxing. "And so is Pinky…he's all fast asleep now, far from freezing like he would've if you weren't our tracker."

At that, Shira giggled. It was small and quiet, almost inaudible over the sound of Gupta's snoring, but it was undeniably a giggle. And then, after a second and louder giggle, Shira began sobbing.

The hands disappeared from view, just for a moment, and then Gutt stepped over in front of Shira. Wordlessly, he gathered up the saber in a fierce embrace, and Shira leaned her head on Gutt's shoulder. As he began rocking them back and forth, the human child closed his eye again and turned his head away, burying it in the chamitataxus' fur.

After a minute or two, Gutt began singing. But his voice was too low and too soft for Roshan to make out most of the words. All he was able to catch of this unique lullaby was the line, "So excuse me forgetting, but these things I do… you see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue…"

It wasn't that Shira hadn't cried before. Of course she had, she was a mammal like everyone else. It was just … she never cried like this. Not for real — not anything more than a single tear or tiny sniffle. Even her parents hadn't been permitted to witness her real crying, her loud and unrestrained wails, so far as she knew. No matter how upset the saber had been, she had always managed to hold in her tears until she'd reached the safety and privacy of her own space.

But she was crying now, and she was crying here. With Gutt. Not just crying in front of Gutt, either, but actually letting the gigantopithecus hold her and comfort her.

It was strange. Not necessarily bad, but…strange.

For the rest of the time in the cave, Roshan was silent. Silent and wondering, thinking of how similar the two mammals were with his parents.

Chapter Text

Halfway into the journey, Shira walked a distance from the group, looking for where to travel next. But as she reached a snowy hill, she spotted the human tribe, not far away. Surprised to see them there, she turned back and saw Gutt approaching.

No… no! I can't let him see them, she thought, a sense of dread coursing through her. If they returned the child now, they would part ways and she would be left to return to Soto empty-handed. If she returned to Soto empty-handed, she would be raped, murdered and used as food in the child's place — and that couldn't happen. She didn't want to die. She didn't want her body to be violently mounted, used for the pleasure of someone she grew up with… she didn't want to be turned into the next meal. To be ravaged beyond her greatest fears.

She wanted to live, to breath, to go on for another day. She wanted to live the life her parents weren't allowed to, and if that meant trading Roshan's life for hers… so be it. It was selfish, cruel and vile, she knew, but what alternative was there? It was either the baby or her, and she'd already made up her mind by then.

Shira looked around, trying to find a way to lead them away from the humans. She spotted a dark cave nearby and thought of a plan. If I lead them through here, they'll lose the humans. Then through another path, I can find the pack and take the child to Soto, at least when Gutt's asleep. If I'm lucky, he'll be content with just Pinkster…

An uneasy feeling surfaced in her stomach as she thought of this plan, but she tried to swallow it best as she could. In life, there was no fairness, no justice — the sabers were hunters first, and rulebreakers last. And Shira had already broken so many rules in the last few days by mingling with an herbivore and an omnivore, much less a badger and a gigantopithecus… traveling alongside them… forging something with them, getting too close … it was time she followed the rules, stick to her origins.

"¡Buenas noticias! There's a shortcut," she said as she rushed over to Gutt. She tried to smile cheerfully, the corners of her mouth paining as she did so. She prayed he wouldn't notice the strains, at least not in the way he noticed her hesitations. He was becoming too good at reading her, and she didn't like that. It was ruining her plans, making things harder for her and honestly, she already had it rough as it was. She didn't need him to add to that.

Gutt raised an eyebrow, while Roshan was playing with his hat-like hair. "A shortcut? As in…"

"A way that's faster than the longer route," Shira finished, blunt. "What, I thought monkeys were supposed to be smart?" She tapped her noggin. "Got some bananas lodged in the core there, monkey boy?"

Gutt snorted. "I'm aware of what a shortcut is," he said gruffly. "No need to jump to conclusions on how the gears turn in my head — which, by the way, are turning well. Thanks for asking." He winced as Roshan began to climb onto his head. "Argh! Take it easy, Pinky!" he scolded the baby.

Shira's teeth gritted. "Look, either we go in there and get to Glacier Pass before the baby's tribe does, or we take the long way and end up too late. Your choice, monkey boy." And she was praying he'd make the former, just so she wouldn't become the executioner's toy.

"In there?" Gutt stared at the saberess in disbelief. Did she underestimate his intelligence? And here, he assumed they'd been nearing a mutual respect. Suppose I was wrong, huh. "Do you think of me as an idiot, tigress?" There was too many hazards that could occur, potentially endangering Pinky. He couldn't allow any of that.

"I promise you if we go in there, by tomorrow morning…you will be a free ape," Shira swore to him, trying to coat the lie with as much genuineness as she could. She watched as he struggled to keep Roshan from pulling his hat-like hair, wincing as the child grabbed a strand and tugged hard. "Or a babysitter. 'Where's the cubby' is a favorite game of mine, honestly." That part…it wasn't a full lie. She had enjoyed her brief time as a babysitter for the cubs in her pack, that day Soto led some other alphas out for a hunt. She was advised to stay and watch over the cubs, only because the mothers had gone off to the springs to bathe. That was when the youngest ones had whined, saying they wanted to play a game and so, a little game began.

"Señora Shira, I'm bored!" whined one of the cubs, a female with fur as bright and orange as all the others, her hazel eyes seemingly tired.

"Yeah, me too!"

"I wanna play a game!"

Soon, she was swarmed by the cubs.

For a second, she felt overwhelmed but then, she supposed it was better than the possibility of being left alone with Soto…and besides, it would help her for if she ever wanted any cubs of her own. So she smiled slightly and said, "Alright, alright, we'll play a game."

The cubs were only at the level of knowing to speak and walk. Still very young, babies but a bit more advanced, by all means. Entertaining them would be easy.

"Where's the cubbies…?" She hid her face behind her paws. Hearing the cubs let out confused squeaks, she revealed her face. "There they are!" Hearing them gasp in awe, she repeated the process. "Where are the little cubbies? Oh, there they are!"

Most of the cubs giggled and rolled on their backs. The one who'd started it all, meanwhile, walked up to Shira and nuzzled her foreleg. "Gracias."

Shira ruffled the cub's small hair tuft. "De nada."

Moments like those… she should've cherished more. Simplistic, happy times before the tribe attacked, before she was sent on the mission, before—

"Hey captain, Shira, check this out!"

Shira's thoughts were interrupted by the badger's voice, cheerful as usual. How he remained the happiest, most optimistic still boggled her mind, but she supposed it was a blessing of sorts. Made her feel not as horrible as usual. Kept her from dwelling on the sorrows, too. She and Gutt looked at the chamitataxus, who held a strange small sculpture crafted from an icicle in his hands—a sculpture that resembled a boat of sorts.

"So one day, we'll all sail away together!" Gupta mimicked the boat sailing by waving the sculpture around in the air.

Gutt's expression softened slightly. How touching… but then he shook his head, cleared his throat and said, "Gupta, tigress here has found us a shortcut."

Gupta looked up at the cave, dropping the sculpture he'd crafted with his own claws into the snow. "I'll be flying the white now." He turned to leave, but stopped as he bumped into said tigress.

"Take the shortcut, tejón," Shira ordered, eyes narrowing. She didn't want to be harsh, but if they didn't get a move on… if I don't get a move on…

Gupta gulped. He hadn't expected her harsh nature to show again, after seemingly having dissipated for a while. Especially not in a threat. "Meree achchhee ladakee, you don't expect me to—"

"¡MUÉVETE AHORA!" Shira snapped, voice echoing throughout. She didn't want to do this, but there was no other choice.

An ice shelf above them started to crumble. Everyone looked up in horror.

"Baaghin…" Gupta trailed off, eyes wide.

"Oh, damn it!" Shira cursed silently.

There was no other choice now. As much as Gutt was suspicious of the route the tigress chose, there wasn't any alternatives — not now, when death was nearing quickly. "Gupta, Shira, get your short-tailed asses inside the cave! NOW!" he barked orders loudly. All of their lives depended on this dubious path, this icy cave of mystery.

All three mammals rushed into the cave as the ice began falling down, with Roshan clinging to Gutt's neck for dear life. Once they were inside, Gupta looked up and shrieked, seeing a bunch of icicles above them. If the ice continued to crumble, they'd all be impaled. They all ran to the entrance, only to see it was blocked off. They looked to the icicles again, only to see they stopped trembling.

The entrance was covered by ice and snow. There was no going back now.

Roshan whimpered and looked up, tugging gently on Gutt's neck fur. That was too scary.

The gigantopithecus reached up and gently pat the child's arm, trying to soothe his worries. "There, there, pinky…it's alright… you're okay… we're all okay…" For now. He glanced at Shira. "Suppose we're taking the shortcut after all," he announced, though uncertainty lingered in his voice. This place didn't seem right, didn't feel right, and he couldn't put a finger on why exactly. Nothing felt right.

"Good choice," she murmured, feeling guilt weigh on her. Not only because of what she would eventually do, but also due to the fact she was the reason they were in this mess to begin with. If she had just…

A painful slam into a wall. Pinned, caught in a tight grip. "Why couldn't you wait for my orders? Thanks to your recklessness, you scared away the elk! Now we'll have nothing to bring back to the pack," snarled the larger saber. "Why are you such a disappointment?"

Shira swallowed down her tears. "Lo siento, Soto." It was hardly the first time she's been stuck in this scenario, but each time is just as degrading. If only she could make a break for her den—

Something pressed up on her hindleg. Her eyes widened.

A smirk formed on Soto's face. "Shira, I can put this insolence aside if you—"

"NO!" she roared and with all her might, shoved him off of her. She quickly moved a good distance away from him, eyes filling with bitter tears, hot and stinging. "I won't…I can't—we can't—I don't want this…!"

"Is that so?" Soto asked, his voice a terrifying kind of calm.

Shira stammered backwards. "I'm your lieutenant! We—we're—this can't go on. There's other tigresses who want you. Why me?"

"You are special, even if you're stubborn…" Soto spoke in a low voice, starting to walk towards her. "Alpha females are so rare…"

"There's others out there! Go and— and mate with them!"

Soto snarled. However often Shira's seen the leader grow violent, seeping with rage… she'd never seen that wild look in his eyes. Shira feared she finally pushed too far.

She ran, fast as she could. But within minutes, she found herself on the ground, pinned on her stomach, a rough body pressed down on hers. She screamed, roared loud for her father, until a paw swiped at her muzzle.

"What will you say? Hmm. In everyone's eyes, saying such lies about the leader is treasonous. Ignacio will be so disappointed. Rosa will be heartbroken. The others will demand for your exile." He grabbed her scruff, forcing her onto her feet. "Tell anybody. They won't believe you, not over the son of Gregorio." And Shira stopped moving, grew silent, knowing he was right.

Gregorio was Soto's father, the former pack leader before he'd died of old age. A respected alpha. Everyone's hero who led them through hardships— out of starvation, through migrations, away from humans' spears, and more. He rescued many, had the hearts of everyone. How could she tell the pack that his son tried to…?

And where would she go if she left? She'd starve and if not that, she'd be killed by humans. She was lost without the pack, without Soto. And besides, they had been friends… and they still were, right? Except, she didn't know if friends would do—if a friend would—

She stifled a sob, nodding quietly. As they headed back to the pack, she held back tears of frustration. Every step felt heavy and every lie she told her father and mother, so empty. She felt herself grow numb, colder than ice. Without a true voice to speak, she was nothing but a shallow grave, where Soto buried his secrets.

"Shira?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, looking Gutt and Gupta who gave her concerned looks.

"You coming, tigress?" asked Gutt, gesturing for the saber to get in front. Something was wrong with her, he knew. She'd been shaking, her legs looking like they were going to give out. More frightened than she had been their first night together. What had gone on in her pack? What happened to her?

So many questions went on in his head… and then he wondered, why did he care? She was nothing but a tracker to him. They weren't friends. He shouldn't concern himself with a carnivore, yet he did. But why?

Shira shook her head. "…yeah, I am." She went to go ahead, but felt the mammals' eyes on her even with her back turned. Was it obvious that she had a … flashback? She prayed that wasn't the case. She didn't want to have to talk about it. It was too painful, too horrifying, to recall. "Come on, you two. Stick together. Ice caves are an easy place to wander off and get lost."

As they trudged through the cave, Gupta looked around. He saw ice formations, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. It's like when I walked through the forests, trying to get back to my…

The badger stopped as he came near a formation that resembled a rock, one that he'd seen outside the previous den he lived in. My family. He tensed up.

Disappointed looks on everyone's faces, save his brothers'.

"Why are you here?"

"Chaacha, I—"

"You weren't supposed to find us here!" hissed the elder badger, shoving his nephew back.

"I…what?"

"You heard him," one of his cousins, Sunil, jeered. "You aren't wanted here."

"But…but why?" Gupta looked at his uncle, seeking answers. Why was he not welcome? Why was he left behind?

"You're a burden," hissed Krishna. "That's why. Ek bekaar bojh. The fact my brother and his wife wanted me to take you in…hah! What a joke." He turned away coldly. "I only did it because I can't stand when he gives me that look, whenever he's refused."

"So that's why you…" Gupta trailed off, feeling it all settle in. An ache in his heart began to form.

"Yes. Because you'll never amount to anything good. Not with those markings on your back. Not with how scrawny and ragged you are. You're nothing but a waste."

Gupta shuddered, the same pain he felt from that day returning. His chest clenched. Was that all he was? Just a burden? Was he just a nuisance that the others couldn't wait to get rid of?

He wandered around, lost in these thoughts. This melancholic feeling. Was it just his fate to be alone? Did he even have a chance with Gutt or Shira?

Oh god. He looked around, realizing he had lost the saberess and the ape. "Oh no, nononono!" he panicked, racing through a pathway to try and catch up to his companions. "Gutt, Shira!"

It happened again. He was alone. And this time, it was all his fault. Maybe Uncle Krishna is right… he thought sadly, while searching for the other mammals. Maybe I'm just a—

A fish. Gupta found himself face to face with a frozen fish. He jumped back, startled, only to laugh lightly afterwards. "Seafood," he murmured, nervous. "Captain will be pleased to—"

He screamed as he turned and saw a frozen dinosaur— a tyrannosaurus, to be exact. He shivered as he walked on, seeing an…evolution process of a sloth? That's weird, he thought to himself.

Eventually he found himself just a few steps away from the crew and quickly caught up to them, though he trailed behind only to take a glimpse at a frozen…something… it looked like it could've been made by humans, but he wasn't too sure. Okay, this is getting weirder and weirder with each passing second.

Roshan looked behind, smiling when he saw the spaceship. He waved and let out a, "Ba." It looked interesting, maybe fun to play with, but he couldn't get off the monkey's back. Not that he wanted to, anyhow. It was nice and warm…like mama and her blankets. He missed mama.

Gutt rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Gupta, for the love of god… try to keep up, will you? It's hard enough to take care of one child. I don't need to take care of another." Though I would've been doing that right now, if only Marcella and the baby had… he breathed in, then out. He couldn't think about them right now. He had to focus on the objective at hand. Roshan, who needed to get back to his—

Roshan had slipped off Gutt's back onto an ice platform above, and he began sliding down on it. He squealed and waved at the three mammals who watched on in worry, before falling down.

Gutt, Shira and Gupta all let out yells of horror and concern at once.

"PINKY!"

"PINKSTER!"

"ROSHAN!"

Roshan slid down, letting out babbles of cheer as he did. This was fun, really fun! He never got to slide back home, but that was mostly because his parents would've panicked.

The three mammals raced in after him, all sliding down and yelling as they did. As the baby squealed, they all tried to use their paws, hands, feet— whatever— to get to him quicker. But the baby seemed to slide faster, being the smallest, and he kept letting out coos— which Shira used as a sign of whether the child was close or not.

Eventually they reached three tunnels and from largest to smallest mammal, each went in a tunnel accustomed to their size. They slid out to an intersection where they were momentarily caught up in the air alongside Scratte, who reached for her nut with annoyance, before falling back into the separate tunnels.

Gupta pushed himself forward with his forelegs until he got near Roshan, whooping with joy. "Yes, siree!" As the baby laughed, he scooped him up into his arms. "Gupta's got you—!"

The chamitataxus fell into a crack. Roshan kept on sliding. Instead of catching up to the child, Gupta kept sliding until he landed on Gutt's back. Shira, on the other hand, was yelling as she tried using her claws to keep from sliding but to no avail. She screamed as she fell onto Gutt's back, who began yelling louder as they neared a large shard of ice.

"Captain, there's an iceberg ahead!" Gupta shrieked.

"THANK YOU, MR. GUPTA, I COULDN'T TELL!" Gutt shouted sarcastically.

They stopped at the iceberg, breathing sighs of relief for a moment. At least until the ice cracked.

"Mierda!" Shira cursed aloud.

"Watch it, kitty! Pinky may pick up on your speech habits!" Gutt scolded.

They slid down, all growing worried as they came near spiky icicles, only for their 'boat' to shred up until they were sliding on their rumps. Each of them were inches away from Roshan. Shira's brow furrowed. If she just moved herself a bit more and—!

Gutt's brow furrowed, eyes narrowing as he noticed Shira trying to gain up on Roshan. "Oh no, you don't!" he growled. He used his forearms to push himself forward, getting ahead of the tigress.

Shira's eyes narrowed at Gutt. "So that's how you wanna play, huh, monkey boy?" she growled at him. She tried to stand on all four paws and, unsheathing her claws, ran forward… only to slide past Roshan.

Now it was just Gutt and Gupta. The badger tried to slide up to Roshan, but as he reached out to grab him, he missed and crashed into Scratte, who had just placed her acorn in an ice wall. The badger created a hole with his size and shape. He was soon followed by Shira, who slid into the wall and created a hole in the shape of herself.

Roshan slipped up a curve in the ice, sending him flying into the air. Gutt's eyes went wide and he moved forward quickly, holding his arms out to catch the child. He couldn't let the child fall, couldn't let him get hurt, not like he had with his daughter and Marcella—

Marcella's hand squeezed his shoulder, her touch soft and loving. "You'll make a great father, I just know it."

An uncertain look. "Do you really believe that?"

She smiled. "Of course I do, love."

A smile formed on his face, one a young naïve male has when he's idealistic and thinks he's fully prepared for what life is going to throw at him. "Well, I'm sure you'll be a wonderful mother." He placed a hand on her belly. "Our girl's gonna be the luckiest one in the valley."

A laugh, a hearty and bubbly one, left Marcella's throat. "Oh Pasquale, you're so flattering! Thank you."

No. No, he wouldn't fail Roshan. Roshan wouldn't face any harm, not while he was alive. This… this was how he would right his wrongs. He just had to reach out and—

Gutt caught Roshan, just at the right moment. The baby giggled and gurgled a, "Whee!" while he held his little arms up. Gutt sighed in relief and gave a small smile. "I've got ya, Pinky," he murmured. "I've got ya."

"GUTT, LOOK OUT!"

"Huh—?"

Before he could turn and see, the gigantopithecus had already crashed into the ice wall and gone through, leaving his own 'mark' so to speak. A snow shower happened and once it all subsided, the three were left in a snow pile.

Roshan giggled and clapped his hands, while Gutt pushed snow off his head. That was fun, the infant thought. Not as fun as playing with papa or mama, but still good fun nonetheless. They could try it again… maybe. Then again, he couldn't get his hopes up. Gutt seemed pretty scared, almost like how his mama looked when she was running away that morning, days ago.

Gupta shivered and shook the snow out of his fur, teeth clacking together. "Th-that was cool and all, but ah, let's never do that again!" he stammered out.

"This is the last time we take a shortcut," Gutt growled out, narrowing his eyes as he shook the snow off his own head. He looked at Shira's spot.

The tigress seemed to be having as much fun as the baby was. She popped out of the snow and whooped, cheering loudly. "YEAH! WOOHOO! That was espectacular! Did you see my slick moves? Paw power!" She punched Gutt's shoulder lightly, in a playful manner as she let out a hearty laugh. "You up for round two, monkey boy?~"

"If you think for one second that I'm going to-…" Gutt was about to make an angry remark, but stopped as he listened at the saber's hearty laughter.

Though her voice was a bit more firm, nowhere near as bubbly, the laughs she had—it reminded him of Marcella. The loud vigorous cheerfulness in her, the boisterous persona that shone — it was like finding a rare seashell amongst a shore of sand and rocks. Such a rare beauty… and a bittersweet feeling overwhelmed him as he recalled his mate, who had been playful in her own sense. Teasing him into racing her up trees, though nowhere as competitive as his brief race with the feline had been. But for a brief moment, he could see bits of his mate within the tigress.

And the eyes—the exuberance in those sea blue orbs, almost like Marcella's hazel blue ones… and he could recall, his mate's fur had its own white spots. Though mostly black, there were a few pale tufts, almost the same color as the snow. Snow in which this wild tigress was as white as.

Once their eyes met, Gutt thought he heard Marcella's voice come from the saber's mouth.

"Pasquale?"

"M-Marcella?"

A confused, slightly pained expression on Shira's face. "Gutt, it's me, Shira. Who is that?"

He snapped out of his momentary trance. "She's—she's… it's not important right now," he lied quickly.

Gupta scowled at both of them. "It is something," he muttered, glancing at Gutt with suspicion. "You just don't want to tell us about who this Marcella is, or why you mistook Shira for her." Then he turned his attention to the smilodon. "And you! We're not going for round two. Never again." He stood up and wiped himself off, grunting irritatedly. Now I'm the tired one…

Shira lightly patted Roshan on the head. "Try to be more careful next time, Pinkster, okay?" she said softly, and the infant nodded. She gave a small smile, before looking back at Gutt. Their eyes met again and she muttered softly, "I'm sorry. I understand if you don't—"

"It's fine. Better this than back out there," Gutt interrupted, forcing a smile. He saw an upset glint in her eyes, a hurt, as if she had been used to being seen as a failure. Disappointment. Faced scolding like no other. Thought that he would do the same to her. What did your pack do to you? he worried, feeling concerned again.

"I think I can find a way out of here," Shira suggested, standing up. "That is, if you still trust me." I understand if you don't at this point. It's better now than if you ever knew that I… no, stop that, Shira. You can't feel guilty. You're doing what you have to in order to survive. But it still felt bad, nonetheless.

"Is there any other choice?" Gutt joked lightly as he stood up. He brought Roshan to his back, then gestured for Shira to lead. "Come on, tigress. Show us the way out."

Her smile grew, chest filling with a strange warm sensation, and she moved forward.

Gupta nudged Gutt as they began following the smilodon. "So, you two are getting along now, huh?" he remarked. "That's good. I remember days ago, you two were at each other's—"

"Not another word, Gupta," Gutt said warningly, shaking a finger at him. "Not. Another. Word."

Gupta threw his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright! Excuse me for trying to observe." He rolled his eyes but smiled. Some good things to come from this, that was something — and for a second, he felt like he was in an actual family. Not an average family, but a family nonetheless.

A start of a beautiful, if slightly troublesome, era if he said so himself.

Scratte pulled herself out of the snow, racing towards an acorn…

Only to stop when she saw it was just a cave painting. She kicked bits of snow aside and cursed in squirrel tongue.

Damn, she could never get it!

Chapter Text

The caves were cold, as expected, and dark and rather eerie. Shivers ran down Gupta's spine as he looked around. He'd traveled through storms, gone through cold weather, climbed high trees and more, but somehow…this felt different. More chills were sent down his spine this time than any of the other times he'd gone through lengths to catch up to his family. But he didn't get why.

Then he did, when he saw there were carvings on the walls. At first they seemed innocent, until he spotted one of sabers digging their teeth into a recently ambushed herd of antelope. He winced, although now he wasn't as ignorant — he knew they had to do it to survive. Still, it was unsettling to see. 

Gupta tried to shake off the sight by getting Roshan's attention. "Look, Roshan, tigers!"

Roshan's eyes traveled to the painting. He whimpered and buried himself into Gutt's fur. He didn't like the sight of what those tigers were doing. It was scary, and it reminded him too much of the tigers that attacked Papa and Mama.

Gupta noticed the child’s distress. “No, it’s okay, it’s okay,” he tried to soothe the baby. “Look, the tigers are just playing tag with the antelope. With their teeth.”

Shira noticed and decided to play along. “Oye, Gupta, wanna play tag?” she asked. “You’re it.”

Gupta laughed. “Sure, okay.” The tigress bolted ahead and he followed in pursuit, but he stopped when he noticed something about the paintings. “I see sloths, but no badgers. Where do the smaller omnivores play into this?” he wondered aloud. He looked to Gutt, who had caught up. “Do you have any idea?”

“No,” said Gutt simply, rolling his eyes. “And I don’t care to gain any.”

“You’re so grumpy…” Gupta pouted. He kept looking around until he spotted a painting of a mammoth. “Hey, look! A mammoth!”

Gutt looked at the painting, then scoffed. “So?”

“He’s a little grumpy, like you,” said Gupta, observing the painting. “But then — oh, he has a family! And he’s so happy now… look, he’s even playing with his son.”

Gutt tensed up at this, looking ahead and seeing the paintings before him. It reminded him, somehow, of his own family… before he lost—

"Easy there, Marcella. You've got precious cargo with ya."

"The baby's fine, believe me," his mate huffed, a small smile on her face. "It's you I worry about. You're so worried all the time, so busy trying to protect us. So much so you forget to cherish the peace and serenity we have." She grabbed his hand, placing it on her belly. "To cherish the moments that'll lead to our miracle."

He looked between Marcella and the round bump, their child — their daughter — and he sighed. "I just don't want anything bad to happen to either of you," he said softly, gently rubbing it. "If something did happen, I don't know what I'd—"

"Nothing will happen to us, I'm sure of it," said Marcella, so confidently. So at ease. As if she could foresee events before they occurred. She gave him a smile, just as sure, and grabbed his other hand, squeezing it gently. "Pasquale, you need to relax. This world we live in… we cannot control it."

"Sure we can," he argued. "We're some of the biggest mammals on this earth!" He puffed his chest out confidently.

She chuckled. "Quit playing games, you silly boy," she scolded playfully. "That's for our little girl."

He rubbed the bump again, smiling at it. "I can't wait 'till you're here," he spoke to it in an excited whisper. "Your life's gonna be filled with adventure and fun and wonder… you'll have everything you could ever want and more. All the treasures life has to offer you, little light."

Marcella paused. "Light…" she hummed for a moment, lost in thought. Then, she asked, "Pasquale?"

"Yes, 'Cella?"

"What do you think about the name 'Luce' for our daughter?"

"Luce," he repeated the name, trying to see how it felt on his tongue. How it sounded. He smiling, liking the sound of it. "I like it. It suits her."

Suddenly, both felt a kick. Looks of joy crossed their faces as they looked at each other.

"Apparently she likes it as well," Pasquale remarked, and both grinned.

"Luce it is, then," Marcella decided.

"Our little light…"

Gutt looked away, his heart aching. His little light never got to shine the same way the mammoth's calf did. She was extinguished before she could even be brought into the world. He never got to hold her. Never got to play with her. Never got to be a father.

Because of humans. The very species he was trying to return Roshan to. The same species Roshan was a part of.

Gutt didn't understand. How does a seemingly innocent baby belong to a kind of species capable of such destruction? He couldn't fathom the idea that this child could grow up to— that he could one day become—

Or maybe… just maybe… he'd become the generation that knew how to love. The generation of peace. Too idealistic, too foolish of a thought, he knew, but… perhaps he could use a bit of idealism for once. Foolishness wasn't always bad. After all, that's how Gupta got by in life, right? Ridiculous faith. So Gutt tried to hold onto that thought, keep it in his mind.

"See, captain? I think that's your problem — gigantopithecus should take after mammoths. Find a mate, have a child…"

Shira noticed Gutt seemed lost in his own thoughts, and was beginning to feel distressed herself upon seeing the paintings. She was remembering her parents, her old life, and she couldn't stand the tormenting memories. "Gupta," she said in a harsh whisper, trying to stop the badger.

"And you, Shira," said Gupta as he turned to the saber. "What about your family? You have a pack, so I'm curious. You didn't talk much of them during our game—"

She froze, tensing up. Her eyes traveled to the paintings again. Seeing the mammoth calf playing with his father, it reminded her of when she and her father would… when her parents were…

"Try and catch me, papa!"

The saber cub steadily propelled herself upwards as she made her way to the top of a rocky hill. Behind her, a larger male with no stripes followed in pursuit, smirking.

"I'm gonna get ya, morrita!"

Shira giggled and tried to bolt for it, only to shriek when she was soon grabbed by the scruff of her neck. "Aww, no fair!" she whined. "I almost had it!"

"Maybe next time,  cariña," said Ignacio, before setting his daughter down and licking her forehead. "You're almost getting there, though!"

"Do you really think so?" asked Shira, her blue eyes lighting up as the two began to pad back towards camp.

Ignacio nodded with a smile. "Of course."

Shira beamed at her father, before running ahead. Ignacio laughed and followed in suit, slowing himself down to let the cub have the upper hand.

The two were amongst the 'standouts' in the pack, for they were white sabers, and white sabers were a rarity — a subspecies that was a sight for sore eyes, especially pale-furred alphas, that of which the two were. Most white sabers were betas, or even of the lowest ranks; rarely ever did one reach such a high rank, nor did they ever catch the eye of high ranking alphas of darker fur. Yet that's what happened with the father and daughter, especially the latter.

Ignacio had somehow, by luck, gotten in the favor of Gregorio, the pack leader. Not enough to be listed as a lieutenant, but enough to be regarded with some level of respect, which was enough for him. Especially when considering that most of the other pack members, even those below his rank, didn't regard him with such — often, they sourced his status as more of a reason to scorn him. Him and his family. It didn't help that his mate wasn't even originally from the same pack, but another pack hailing from the east.

Which was another benefit of Ignacio's connection to Gregorio — that he was allowed to pursue a member of the eastern pack despite hailing from the western pack. Rosa, who had originally been Sari, was once residing amongst other snow-white felines, her black stripes being the one thing that made her stick out. Slim, petite and wan, the eastern tigress had somehow captured the heart of the western tiger, and vice versa. Under normal circumstances, such a thing would've been more complicated, but with some persuasions, Gregorio had allowed Ignacio to take Sari as a mate… and soon, the eastern tigress would be renamed after the flowers that had bloomed around that spring — Rosa. And she would bear a daughter, who retained a rather eastern name.

"It means song," said Rosa simply when either her mate or offspring asked why such a name was chosen. "An everlasting song of life."

Shira never understood that, nor did she try to make sense of it  — no point in it when it'd just give her a headache, no? So she focused on other things, including spending time with her father and the connection she had with Soto, Gregorio's son. Ironic, as the latter would've been a mirror to her father's connections to the leader, except she didn't know if Gregorio ever threatened her father if he couldn't keep a secret. Or focused so much on him. Oh well. It was better to have a companion than none at all, even if he was a bit weird, right? Even if he sometimes got too... pushy... at least he never belittled her fur.

Speaking of her mother, she quickly bounded between the older tigress' legs when she came into sight, nuzzling her mother's foreleg. "Mama!" the cub cried. "You won't believe it, but I almost outran Papa today!"

"Really?" asked Rosa, a brow raised in amusement. Her eyes shifted to Ignacio who arrived seconds later. "Is that so?"

Ignacio nodded. "She's getting there," he replied. "Slowly, but surely."

"Slowly?!" Shira shrieked, peeking from between her mother's forelegs. "But I want to get better faster!"

"Be patient, mija," Ignacio said, rubbing his cub's head with one paw. "With time, you will get there. You will be one of the best alphas this pack has to offer."

Shira's eyes lit up. "Like you?"

Ignacio chuckled. "Well, I don't know if—"

"Come now, amor," Rosa chimed in. "You're astounding. It's not a surprise you've caught Gregorio's eye…or that you caught mine."

"Eww." Shira's nose scrunched up. "I hope I don't end up like you and get all mushy gushy with someone."

"Oh, how you wound me, mija!" Ignacio faked being hurt. "Whatever shall I do?"

Shira leapt at her father playfully. "Surrender!"

" ¡Nunca!" Ignacio cried as he pretended to fall over and be taken down by the cub.

Rosa rolled her eyes. "Do you two ever not fool around?" she questioned, playfulness in her voice.

Both father and daughter looked at the mother. "No," they spoke in unison.

She laughed. "You two will be the death of me."

Shira's ears folded downward. Memories of her family flooded back. A peaceful, seemingly ideal life… which was destroyed only days ago. Her eyes scanned the painting of the mammoth family, and for a second she almost saw her own—

But then, she remembered the day the happiness ended.

The humans had attacked the camp. Shira had rushed to her parents' den, having seen a couple two-legged bastards head in there.

That was when she saw them, cornered. Backed up to the wall. Her mother's eyes wide with fear, while her father's burned with rage as he stood crouched in front of his mate, ready to fight. But they were old now, past the age of partaking in battle, and the male's methods were— well, not as good as they used to be.

When Ignacio tried to lunge forward, he was blocked by one of the humans' spears. He roared and tried to swipe, only to miss and fall forward. Several attempts of attacking, all failures, and then —

A loud roar, a pained one. The sound of a sharp object piercing flesh, followed by a bloodcurdling cry. A mournful, grieved roar soon echoing from two tigresses. The younger leapt forward, and what happened next felt like a blur.

Shira jumped at the head hunter, only to be thrown to the ground. She got up and struck again, swiping at his leg and successfully, knocking him down. But as she went to deliver a final blow, something cut into her ear, and she roared in pain. But hers was drowned out by a deathly cry that followed, one she recognized instantly, and when she looked around she saw  —

Her mother laying next to her father, both of their forms stained with blood.

The saber's claws dug into the ground. A harsh clamp went through her chest and she let out an ugly, ragged breath.

She had failed them. She wasn't able to prevent it from happening, wasn't able to protect them.

Her own parents, killed by tribesmen. That's why she had set out to—to get the—to give him to—

Will you feel any better though? a voice in her head questioned her. Trading the baby's life for yours… it doesn't make you any better, does it? It won't help anything. This won't change—

She tried to block out the voice. Tried to reason, saying it was the only way. She would live, and avenge them, and then… her mind ran cold, and blanked.

Would anything really change? Would she really be doing the right thing? A mindless killing wouldn't fix anything, would it? So many questions, so little time… as she began to rethink, to realize, she was suddenly reminded that she wasn't alone. That she still had her companions.

"Shira," came Gutt's voice, surprisingly soft, filled with concern. "You alright there?"

Shira shook her head. "No," she responded quietly. "I'm not."

"Was it…something I said?" asked Gupta slowly. He fiddled with his paws, claws clacking together and making small noises, trying to penetrate the cold atmosphere. "If—if you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to—!"

"No, it's fine, I…" Shira trailed off. It wasn't fine, not really, and it wouldn't ever be. But he had asked her about it—about her family— and prompted her to remember, so she might as well talk about it now. She wouldn't get a chance like it ever again to relieve this burden, to actually tell a full on truth. "You asked about my family. I should give you a proper answer, no? That's what good conocidos do, after all."

Gupta shifted uncomfortably, knowing he had spoken out of line. Struck a nerve when he should've kept his mouth shut. "You don't have to," he said, trying to soothe her. "I should have just—"

"I'll talk about it," Shira interrupted him, her voice firm. As if putting her foot down on the matter. "We've traveled together for days." She looked between the two mammals. "It's only fair we get more acquainted before we all go our own ways. This includes sharing stories, no matter how unhappy they might be."

"If that's what you want, tigress," Gutt said warily. He felt a strange feeling in his stomach, as if he knew that the story she was about to tell wasn't going to be … good.

"It's not a matter of what I want," Shira said, a smile on her face that wasn't at all pleasant. "It's a matter of telling the truth." Something I haven't been doing right. But that went unsaid, for it was better than to raise more questions. To let them know that she was … that she would…

Gutt was concerned, but tried to keep his expression neutral. "Alright," he spoke, a little bit of reluctance in his tone. He didn't like to be forceful, to make her speak up of things she didn't want to, because he knew how painful it felt to remember certain things. To remember family, when it was best left unspoken of. "We should … head somewhere else," he suggested. This cave brought the two distress, clearly. They were better off somewhere not as...memory inducing.

"I see that there's a path up ahead," Gupta said softly, pointing in said direction. "We can find another place, I think." He looked at the smilodon. "If you will lead the way…"

She nodded. "Of course."

Roshan shifted in Gutt's hold, looking between everyone and wondering why their moods had changed. One moment, they were all having fun and the next, they seemed so tense. Adults humans and animals were both strange, he decided. And suddenly, he missed his parents even more. So much so he began to whine slightly.

Gutt noticed this and began to soothe the baby's whining, rocking him in one arm as they left the cave. "Shh, easy there, pinky," he hushed him. "It's okay… nothing bad is gonna happen, I promise… we're all alright…"

Roshan partially believed that, but another half didn't. A part of him felt something was off. Very off. And his want for his parents didn't really go away, it just calmed down slightly. He missed them, but he wanted to believe he'd see them soon, and if he was good and didn't whine as much… maybe he'd see them sooner? So calmed down a bit, stopped his cries for now.

Deep down, though, not everything felt right. Not even as the trio went to a new place, where it was much warmer and there were no wall drawings.

"So, about my family…"

Shira looked between the three in front of her, from Gupta, to Gutt, to little Roshan who looked so innocent. She let out a sigh, trying not to let the emotions building up inside her— the sorrow and rage— overwhelm her.

"I lived in a pack," she began. "The western pack. Most of the sabers were of orange fur, but my father, mother and I were of white fur. A subspecies of sorts, if you will. I don't know what our kind is called, but all I know is we're a rarity." She shrugged. "Which made us outcasts in our own pack, even more so because my mother was originally from the eastern pack, and only joined the western one when she and my dad—" she stopped, realizing Roshan was there. "Well, you know." The baby tilted his head and she smiled slightly, more genuine than the last.

"So did she have a name like yours, then?" Gupta asked curiously.

Shira gave a nod. "Yes, she did. It was originally Sari, which means something like … royalty. I don't recall entirely." She pursed her lips, musing. "It became Rosa when she and my father were mated, though. My name is the way it is because Shira means 'song'." She shook her head. "Anyhow, we weren't liked much by most of the pack, save the former leader and his son, who became the current leader." She didn't say their names, because to think of Soto right now would make her feel so ill, and she didn't need that now. "Especially since the idea of two pale-furred alphas like my father and I, well, it wasn't heard of. So I was often cast aside, and it was just us versus the world most of the time. But even with all the downsides, there were always upsides — the biggest one being that we had each other."

Gutt looked on, feeling a pang in his heart. He was once close with his parents, so he knew of how it felt to have such a bond, though he didn't quite understand why this tigress and her family would be casted out simply for such trivial reasons. Pack life seemed so...harsh, unnecessarily so in comparison to any other way of life. Now he could sort of see why she had been so brash during their first encounter — it seemed to be all she ever knew, or something she picked up from the environment she grew up in. Whatever the case was, she was clearly troubled from said pack life.

But what she said next shocked him and their badger friend to the core.

"That changed one day though, when just several days ago… a human tribe attacked our camp. They came in, slaughtered so many of our pack members left and right." She didn't watch her companions' reactions, not sure she would be able to handle it enough to get through the whole tale. She kept her eyes on the wall behind them as she spoke. "My parents were amongst the casualties, cornered in their dens and slaughtered for use of coats. I was lucky to get out with a mere cut in my ear—" she made a gesture to said ear "—but in the process, I lost the only family I had. The pack lost so much. Only the current leader, three other males and I, the only female, were left alive. We set out to do what we could, after the attack." But you don't want to know what it is, exactly. You'd hate me, but I'd deserve it, she thought bitterly. "And now here I am, telling you this story."

When she finished, Shira's eyes finally traveled to the other mammals' faces.

Gupta's face was ridden with unbridled guilt. Gutt looked to be a mixture between furious, horrified and sad. Roshan's eyes were unreadable, but that was understandable — she didn't think he would be able to comprehend this, not really. It was the former two's reactions that got to her the most, though. For the first time, they were silent.

Shira bit her lip, not enough to draw blood but enough to feel pressure. "Can… can one of you say something?" she asked quietly. They looked like they wanted to speak, but no sound came out.

"I…" spoke Gutt, the first one to say something. But his voice was weak, so he cleared his throat. "I had no idea that…"

"That this happened?" Shira finished. "It's fine. I never told you. Don't think I ever talked about my pack with you except that one night, when we had that exchange about … you know."

The ape nodded, licking his lips as he tried to think of words to say. He hadn't expected this. He never would've thought that the saber and him had more in common than he had assumed. That they both experienced loss of family at the hands of humans, that their loved ones had met similar fates… it felt like an eerie, cruel sense of deja vu — and it was something he wouldn't wish upon anybody, especially not her. He felt pained for her, wanted to try and soothe her, comfort her, but he didn't know how to. All he could bring himself to say was, "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Don't apologize. You had nothing to do with it," she insisted, her eyes meeting his for a brief second. She felt a strange connection, and she didn't know why, but it seemed in that moment… there was some sort of understanding, like he knew her pain somehow. That he had gone through something similar. "You don't need to apologize. What happened — it's something out of our control."

"Still, no one deserves to lose family," Gutt argued, stepping closer to the saber. "Especially not due to hunting." He put his hand under her chin, gently, in an attempt to … he didn't know what, exactly. All he knew was there was an urge to chase away the pain, steal it away, even if just for a mere second. To spare her of what he had gone through, what he felt.

Gupta moved up to the tigress' foreleg, hugging it. "He's right," he added. "What happened to you is horrifying. I don't know what I'd do if my family…" he trailed off, shuddering before squeezing his female companion's leg tighter. "But, despite that… you got out there stronger because of it, no?"

"I guess," said Shira quietly. She felt slightly distracted by the care she was receiving. She wasn't used to this. She was so used to bottling it up, never letting anything escape, that this felt so foreign and new and— and it was so much to take in. But it felt nice, surprisingly. It felt really, really nice. And she wanted this moment to last longer, especially as she felt Roshan reach out and nuzzle her fur.

At the same time though, it felt undeserved, knowing her role. Knowing what she was doing in the end. What would happen when they arrived at—

But in this moment, she tried not to let that cloud her mind. She accepted their embraces, their care and support and — could she even call it love? It felt close to it, from what she remembered of it. This warmth was something she hadn't felt in a while, so kind and welcoming. She would miss this… but for now, it was enough.

It was enough for her to smile, and say: "Gracias, Gutt… Gupta… Roshan."

You're more kinder than what I deserve.

Chapter Text

There were no words spoken between the trio as they went to continue the journey. The only sounds were Roshan's occasional babbles as he played with Gutt's hair.

Sometimes, Gupta noticed glances between Shira and Gutt, but it was never for long, as if there was something held back. In their eyes, there were words they wanted to say, but didn't dare utter aloud. And he didn't know how to feel, except guilty. Guilty he even asked the tigress about her family, guilty he was the reason she had to reveal that she had lost them, that he was the reason those painful memories resurfaced. Suddenly, their game and her change of mood there made more sense — and he hated himself so much for it. He wanted to claw himself, make himself feel at least a bit of the pain she had felt, so somehow they'd be even—

But then he pushed those thoughts away. This isn't about you, he scolded himself. You don't know what it's like. You didn't go through half of what she did. But that only added to the growing feeling of guilt, the feeling that maybe… he was a burden. That he was only adding more to the growing pains, the things his companions had to endure.

Shira and Gutt had helped him out so much, protecting him from those rhinos. Without them and Roshan, he would be alone — lost without a purpose. They'd done so much for him and what had he done? Nothing in return. He felt ungrateful, and… like he had been a nuisance all along. A pest. A selfish little— he shuddered, realizing he had become what others most likely saw him as.

A pain in the ass.

Gupta stood bipedally, hugging himself with his arms as he trailed behind. Gutt and Shira seemed so comfortable around each other, even without uttering words. So content, so at ease — a massive change compared to their tensions throughout the previous days. And Roshan, well, that child's heart was so big he loved everyone. Soon, there would be no use for the badger, the runt of the… group? He didn't know what they were anymore; all he knew was he wished to have a place within it, to belong somewhere…

He didn't fit in with badgers. Didn't fit in with other omnivores. Didn't fit in with carnivores. But with these three, he felt so at ease, like he was part of something without being thrown away later on. Sure, it was weird — a saber, a gigantopithecus, a human child and a badger? It was out of this world! But they all were connected somehow, and they clicked together in ways he hadn't clicked with anybody else. These guys were the closest he had to a… a family… in a long time. And he didn't want to lose that, not by his own mistakes, his own screwups.

He helped Roshan, sure, but had he ever helped Gutt and Shira? He couldn't recall, not really. He had bonded with the latter, but the former… it seemed no matter what, he would never be seen as anything but an upstart. Someone who tagged along just for his own benefit. A pain in the ape's side. The ape saved his life, but he didn't really pay him back much — and for this, he wanted to change that. Do something to prove he could be something more than just a burden, prove that he was worthy of being part of this scraggly group, prove that he could be a good… a good friend.

Friends. Gupta hadn't had a friend before. He knew why, but… maybe he could make friends with these two mammals. And then, if they became close, then he wouldn't be left alone when the journey ended! And they would all be happy together, and they could go to the south and run across the beaches, even if there'd be other mammals judging. He didn't care anymore — he stopped caring after that encounter with the badger clan. He just—he wanted to belong. To be accepted and… and to have that happy feeling he felt when he was around these guys last forever. So idealistic, that Gutt would call him stupid and Shira would shake her head, but Gupta didn't care — he had to hold onto idealism, because if he didn't… there wouldn't be anything to look for. Just like how without Roshan, they wouldn't be here together to begin with.

Speaking of Roshan, the baby had looked over his shoulder at the badger and tilted his head, letting out a concerned coo. The chamitataxus looked sad, and the child wondered why. Was it because of the sad story Shira had told? If so, he understood. He had felt sad too, though mostly because of his parents… and hearing her mention something about her parents got him thinking of them even more. At this point, he was starting to accept that his mama was gone now. Why else would he keep getting the sinking feeling that she…?

He tried not to think about that too much. He just wondered what got Gupta so upset. "Guuu?" He held a hand out to the badger.

Gupta looked up at the infant and moved a little quicker to get close, but not too close. He smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry about me, kid."

Gutt glanced back at the smaller mammal, assuming he'd done something. He was always one to play around, so it wouldn't be far off. "Enough playing around… it's getting dark out. We don't have time for this." It was true — the sun, whatever was left of it, was disappearing over the horizon. Nighttime was leering over, ready to envelope the land within it, and if they didn't find a place to rest for the night… he tried not to think of it. If his thoughts lingered too far, he would start remembering more, and he couldn't afford that. Nor could he afford to let Roshan get harmed, him or the other two.

Gupta gaped at the ape. "What? I wasn't even—!" he stopped midway, realizing there was no use in defending himself. The ape was stubborn, and he was not fit to clash with him. So he sighed and his arms hung by his sides, until he got back on all fours. "Nevermind…"

Gutt's brow raised. He was a bit surprised the badger hadn't argued, or even made a remark. It was unlike him, and it felt out of place. "… you okay?"

Oh, you care now? Why? was the initial question Gupta had, but he held his tongue on that regard. It sounded snappy, rude and frankly, uncalled for when he considered everything that had happened previously. "Maybe I'm okay, maybe I'm not," was his answer, his tone empty. He shrugged. "Does it matter?"

"Wha— what's wrong with you?" Gutt found himself asking, startled by the badger's lack of cheeriness. It wasn't normal. Something felt off. And he felt like he had something to do with this. "When did you get so… gloomy?"

"Gloomy? Who said I was gloomy?" Gupta forced a laugh out. "I'm fine. Completely fine. Nothing's wrong with me."

"You're lying," Shira finally spoke, her blue eyes narrowed at him. "And don't try to say otherwise, because that laugh isn't genuine. Your cheeriness is forced."

Gupta opened his mouth to argue, but was then interrupted by Gutt. "She's right. You're usually always sunshine and happiness, but now, you're just — it's like you've changed."

As the last vestiges of the forced cheeriness crumbled to dust, Gupta looked down and stared at the ground. His eyes read of sadness and loneliness. "I don't know what to tell you guys," he quietly replied. "I just… I feel I haven't done anything worthwhile, and…" He swallowed, trying to ignore the stinging at the back of his eyes. "And I'm Gupta! I'm the happy one! The one who's kept his chin up in spite of everything during this whole time while you two were always more cynical, more sad and— and that's my thing! I don't think that… I just can't…" He squeezed his eyes shut, tight as he could, trying to think of something happy, of something fun. Something that would stave off those nagging, unwelcome tears that were welling up inside of him and making a nuisance of themselves. But all he could think of was them – of Shira, and Gutt, and Roshan…

"Gupta," started one of them. He wasn't paying attention, so he couldn't hear the voice properly to tell if it was the gigantopithecus or the saber, or hell, both of them – didn't matter.

"No." Gupta was shaking his head now. "I'm just a nuisance. That's all I've been… and, and I don't want to be that anymore. Not after I asked you, Shira, about—that I got you to—"

"Is that what this is about?" Gutt interrupted, eyes now unreadable. "We're not mad at you for that."

"But I—"

"I was going to mention it eventually," Shira said, a smile that wasn't all too happy on her face. "So don't beat yourself up over it. You were just asking, and…"

"It was insensitive, though," Gupta argued, eyes narrowing. He glanced at her, then at the ground. "After what happened last time, I should have known not to…" he sighed. "Sometimes, I don't think before I speak – and that's an issue I want to fix, badly."

Both Gutt and Shira looked at each other, their expressions softening as they looked back at the badger. "Gupta," both started.

But then a whimper from Roshan interrupted them. The three's attention directed towards the infant, who buried his face in Gutt's fur, his little form shivering with fear. That was when they knew something was wrong, from the way he whined and pulled at the fur.

"What's wrong, Pinky?" asked Gutt, concerned. He looked around, trying to see what could have upset the infant. The child kept whining, his cries growing louder as he kept yanking harder at the fur, as if trying to tell him something –

And that's when his eyes fell upon it: three wolves. Stray ones, with no collars attached. Wild ones – predators like Shira, but unlike her, they were solely out for one thing only. A quick meal.

"Well boys, what do we have here?" the leader – at least, he assumed it was the leader – asked, licking his maw as he walked up, his fellow wolves joining him in circling the trio.

"A human snack," the second said, giving a grin filled with the sharpest teeth.

"Shame that it's surrounded by a couple of misfits," the third said, tsking. "Let's see… primate, felidae, and a little mustelidae – an odd bunch."

"Thought big kittens didn't mix with their prey," the leader said, sneering at Shira. "Or stray from their packs, for that matter."

"Don't call me kitten, unless you want to become part of my diet," Shira growled at him, claws starting to unsheathe. She wasn't going to be talked down to, especially not by a bunch of wild dogs. "And funny you mention packs, 'cause last time I checked… aren't wolves supposed to be in packs? Not trios of scrawny, scruffy pups."

The leader growled at her, his yellow eyes filled with hatred. "Humans happened," he said simply. "They like to use our kind for pets or – well, I'm sure you of all creatures would understand." He smirked as he noticed her expression crumple slightly. "After all, your kind doesn't fair much better."

"You're low on the chain to be making these kinds of comments," Shira snarled. She was one step away from pouncing on this one and ripping his throat out, but she restrained herself for the sake of Roshan. He didn't need to see that. That, and she didn't want to endanger her companions. "Tell me, fleabag, what do you and your league of disease-ridden pups want?"

"What we want is simple, pallide," said the first wolf, circling around her. She grit her teeth upon hearing that word. "We want that baby."

Gutt let out a low, but loud enough sound of anger. "Not a chance in hell," he hissed.

"Come on, what use do you have for him?" asked the second wolf, trying to get a rise out of the ape. "You monkeys don't usually eat meat, and he's only gonna slow you down even further along the way… just like these two." He flicked his tail, gesturing it between the tigress and the badger.

"The kid's not food," Gutt snarled, growing protective over the baby. There was no chance of him letting this child get harmed by predators. He wouldn't let anything hurt him, not as long as the primate lived. "He's going back to his people, and you will be heading on your way if you know what's good for you."

"Oh, such kind souls you are, helping out a lost human… even when he'd grow up to hunt you down and slaughter you all," the leader of the wolves sneered. "How noble... and foolish."

"Better a fool than a child murderer," Gupta snapped, stepping up. His claws seemed sharper, almost. His fur was almost as prickled as Shira's fur was now. His teeth bore, not as sharp but still enough to bite roughly into the bastards– "Go find some rabbit to kill. There's plenty ahead, I'm sure. In any case, you're wasting your time here."

"No more of a waste than you lot sticking around each other," snorted the third wolf, startling to circle around the badger. "Do any of you really enjoy being together? Or do you waste precious time in trying to gain something?" He smirked, relishing in seeing the anger rise in the smaller one. "Surely, you don't consider each other–"

It was so sudden, but in what felt like a flash, the badger had swiped a paw – claws sticking out, ready to cut – at the canine's face, slashing it and leaving three gashes on its muzzle.

The wolf let out a loud cry, while Gupta stumbled back, eyes wide as he looked at his now blood-stained claws. Everyone else looked on in shock at what had just happened. Deathly silence followed as the wolf felt its muzzle, breathing in and out as blood dripped onto the snow. Then, it looked back at its attacker. "You little shit!" it growled, immediately lunging forward.

"Get that baby!" the leader shouted.

"Shira, take Roshan!" Gutt shouted to the saber, holding out the child to her.

Shira was worried, uncertain and frankly, hesitant. "But—!"

"JUST DO IT!"

She nodded, grabbing the child by the scruff of his coat and running off to place him within a tree stump, where he'd be safe. Just in time as well, for the other two wolves came charging at the ape. Gutt let out a loud cry before charging at the two, striking both with his claws.

The first lupine rammed into Gutt, sending him down. But the ape was larger, able to throw the canine off. Its body slammed onto a tree nearby, twitching when it landed on the ground.

"Bastard!" shouted the second lupine, running forward to strike, only to be grabbed by the scruff of a certain feline.

"Don't you dare touch him." Shira slammed him onto the ground, pressing her paw onto its neck, claws sinking in slowly. "Chucho estúpido. You should know to stick to caribou." The lupine's legs flailed as it tried to scratch her throat, but it couldn't reach. She scoffed at the pathetic display, having seen deer that put up a better fight. "Es realmente triste. That's the best you can do? Not even begging? I've eaten mammals that had more fight in them, but you? You're all bark with no bite. A waste."

"I'll see you on the other side," the canine managed to get out as the saber's paw pressed harder on his throat. "And there, I'll rip your throat out."

"I don't think so." With that said, she tore his throat open with her claws, the mutt beneath her going limp instantly. His blood coated her foreleg, and she glanced at the stained fur. She sighed and shook her head, praying this would be the only time she would have to slice someone's throat… and she tried to get the images of how Roshan's mother had tried to protect the child out of her mind, realizing that this wasn't much different.

No, it wasn't much different at all, except now... Shira understood. And the guilt sunk in even more.

What have I done?

Meanwhile, with Gutt, he was facing off the alpha wolf, who'd gotten up and was trying to attack the primate. He was grappling with the alpha, and tried to dodge his attempts to bite him.

The wolf's attempts weren't completely futile though. Its teeth sunk into the gigantopithecus' arm, and Gutt let out a loud cry of pain. Then, the canine rammed into him, sending him rolling over onto his sides. Rolling to a stop, Gutt made to get up, but tripped on a small rock that lay next to him.

The lupine howled with victory and hurled down towards him. Time seemed to have stopped. Gutt looked at his claws, sharp enough to pierce into skin, and recalled how he'd gotten his name. During his time alone, for years prior, he had to fend off predators — he had to fight to survive, and eventually he perfected his key to this. And that key was simple: to kill with his own bare hands. While he couldn't kill off the tribesmen that murdered his family in time, he could … he could protect Roshan.

Without another thought, Gutt moved his hand upward, claws out. He saw the pure horror in the wolf's eyes. Too late did it try to change direction. The ape's greatest weapon sunk into its target. His enemy let out a choked out cry, before going limp.

Rolling away from it, the gigantopithecus watched the body twitch, its mouth moving and blood flowing from the muzzle. More dark red substance poured from the neck, and eventually … the lupine's body lay there, dead.

Gutt sighed as he glanced at his blood covered hand, and at the blood that had stained some of his fur. He didn't like to kill, not when it didn't put him in any better position than those humans… but he didn't have much of a choice. A part of life was that in order to survive, one must do unsavory things to make it out of a life-threatening scenario, and to protect those that needed protection.

What would Marcella say? he wondered. Would she be disappointed? His mate was never one for violence. But he had to, in order to prevent this light from going out, he tried to justify his actions. Unlike his daughter's light, Roshan's still had a chance to shine bright. He couldn't let him simply —

"Gutt!"

He turned to see the white saber run towards him. "Shira…"

She ran to his side, inspecting for any wounds. "Are you okay? Did it—" she stopped, seeing the bite marks on his left arm. "That bastardo!" she yelled.

"Shira, it's okay. It's just a minor wound," he tried to soothe her. "It's not—"

"No! You're hurt!" Shira started to rub up on him suddenly, her rough tongue licking the wound. Gutt flinched at the feeling at first, only to relax after a few minutes. A sensation in his chest occurred, a warm one, but he tried to push it back as she soon made a remark, once she eventually took notice of the blood on his other arm and some on his chest fur. "You killed him, didn't you." Her eyes trailed off to the corpse nearby, finally taking it all in. Finally realizing why he was named... "Oh, Gutt…"

"I couldn't let him hurt Roshan." He glanced at her own blood-stained paws. "And neither could you, I suppose."

"Of course not." She rubbed beneath his chin again. "I wouldn't be able to—"

A loud shriek penetrated the air. Their fur stood up as both recognized the cry.

"That's Gupta," Shira said, eyes wide.

"Gupta…we— oh god…!" Gutt felt a sudden concern overwhelm him. He couldn't believe he had forgotten about the badger. After all that had happened, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he didn't try to help him. Try to rescue him from the jaws of …

Both ran for their companion.

Gupta found himself at a dead end.

This mutt was bigger than him. Stronger than him. Probably killed mammals the same size as him. And what had he done? He got it angry, and now here he was: cornered at a wall of a nearby den where outside, the predator was digging his way in.

He was doomed. Good as dead.

Gupta thought of the events that led to where he was now. From the rhinos, to meeting Gutt, to finding Roshan, to trying to return him to the camp, to meeting Shira, to the trip they had taken… the bonds forged… words said, things done… and all of the words he never got to say, and all of the things he never got to do.

"I never got to pay back my debt," he whispered to himself. Never got to repay Gutt, or Roshan…or even Shira… but then he realized, there was still a chance. A chance to do just that. He looked up to the entrance, slowly being caved in by the wolf's incessant digging.

If he took down this wolf, somehow, then he'd be at least doing something to repay the three. He slowly put up a plan in his mind — a risky one that would get him killed, but damn it, he had to do something! He couldn't let anything happen... not when he was alive. Even if he died, at least he would die for a good cause, and that was better than doing nothing, right? Than to contribute nothing to those who'd each done something special for him.

The badger readied himself just as the wolf had completely dug through the entrance, and once it stuck its head through … Gupta threw himself forward.

The wolf let out a loud howl of pain as the chamitataxus lunged onto its muzzle, sinking his claws deep into it, scratching it up. It thrashed and tried shaking him off, using its paws to swipe at his back, leaving scratches and wounds, but the smaller mammal was persistent.

Gupta bit into the muzzle with his teeth to stay in place, before digging his talons into the wolf's eyes. Its horrific sounds rang through his ears, his eyes squeezing shut as he dug into the eyes, the sockets, hooking his claws around until—

A pop. The vile feeling of sticky substance, coating his fur. The canine's pained cries growing louder. The chamitataxus opened his own eyes, finding himself looking into two empty sockets.

And then, Gupta was thrown onto the ground, where he landed on his stomach with a harsh blow, nearly having all the breath knocked out of him. His enemy's paw pressed down on his back, a sharp pain arising as he felt its nails dig into his skin. He tasted iron on his tongue, unsure if it was from him or the mutt... but it didn't matter anymore. He tried to look around, to find some way to—

"Gupta!"

… oh, there they were. They were still alive, so that was a relief, he supposed. A small triumph, in spite of his sure demise. But if they lived, and he could hinder the enemy for a while, then that was a service he did decently. A small smile appeared on his face.

Suddenly, the weight on his back, the talons and the paw, disappeared and the sounds of the predator died out. He heard a sick snap— a crack of bone— and a thud of a form. Then, he heard the worried cries of Gutt and Shira.

"Gupta, no…!"

"Damn it, Gupta, why did you—?!"

The voices faded out. His hearing and vision faded, and the world around him felt like it was spinning. The last thing he felt was something grabbing him, and then… it was all silent.

Roshan had waited in the place where Shira had left him, curled up, shivering in fear.

Those wolves didn't seem as friendly as the ones his tribe had. They weren't tamed, didn't have any rope tied to them, and seemed so… vicious. Like those sabers that attacked. He was praying that they hadn't gotten anybody, and that no one was gone… not in the way his mother was.

Had his father encountered any of these vicious dogs before? He prayed not. He couldn't imagine that—

Roshan heard footsteps approaching. He whimpered, trying to hide himself behind his hands, only to hear a soft voice…

"Oh, where's the cubby?"

He recognized that voice. Despite not liking the game, he wanted himself to be seen, and didn't want to be left behind, so he pulled his hands back… and he saw a much softer face of the saber behind the game.

"Ah, there you are," she said, like she found a lost item. So relieved, so thankful… like a caretaker finding a lost cub.

Roshan cooed happily as he was picked up by his coat scruff, relieved she was okay. But that relief faded when he saw Gutt's grim look and soon saw Gupta's form in his arms, battered.

Then he realized, once again… the adults around him had done so much to protect him. Just like his mama and papa. And he silently prayed Gupta would get better, for he couldn't lose anybody else…

Chapter Text

For years, since she was at least four, Shira swore that she never wanted to catch any positive feelings for a non-saber… especially herbivores and omnivores, and humans. She buried any remorse she had deep down. She did as much as she could to live up to the standards held for a high ranking alpha. Anything and everything that she could do to prove herself worthy, even at the cost of whatever conscious she held, she did. She was content to go with the rest of her life as Soto's lieutenant, without ever truly thinking of all those that had laid at her mercy… without thinking of those who she'd deemed beneath her or unworthy of a second thought. But now, as Gupta was injured from dealing with a predator twice his size, as Gutt carried the almost limp form while having his own wounds to show for the dangers he'd faced and Roshan had nearly faced danger from something that hadn't been her, she would give anything to make sure they weren't put in harm's way ever again.

Lost in her emotions, Shira was unaware that the gigantopithecus noticed her expression, worried and near grief-stricken like he was. He saw her fear, same as his, horrified at seeing the state their companion was in. While both had gone through their own losses of those they cared for, neither had the chance to actually have the chance to help— to actually get to try and save someone who had been harmed from death. That chance was snatched from them the first time, for they'd been too late to save their families, forced to watch as their loved ones died. For both, getting this opportunity to help Gupta, to try and treat his wounds was a grim reminder of how fragile life was. Despite their wishes to start over, to be able to do the same for their deceased families, such a thing couldn't happen. It was a sobering experience for both.

Gutt could only thinking of all the times he had spent, having been so cold to Gupta. He spent time thinking of him as someone too idealistic, a bit foolish, talkative and too forward… and even sometimes, runt-like. But it wasn't like he hadn't cared for the badger. He did, even from the start… that was why he had saved him, because he didn't want him to get hurt by those rhinos. His heart was just so closed off, he appeared uncaring, but that didn't mean that he'd thought of him so lowly… and he felt a grief overwhelm him, knowing now how insecure the guy was. How he wished to prove himself, to assist in any way he could, and how he had done exactly that by throwing himself into danger just to protect Roshan—just to help out his fellow mammals in fighting off those wolves.

"Idiot…" he muttered, feeling himself choke up. "You're not a nuisance, and we never… I never resented you…"

Shira moved closer to the ape. She understood how he felt, sharing the same remorse he had and more. "He's – he's really brave for someone so small," she remarked, her own voice getting choked up. "I didn't know he had it in him… to take on a—" she stopped, recalling the exact moment they had found him.

They had made it to the den, just in time to see that the remaining wolf had caved in the entrance and had trapped Gupta under his paw, his claws digging into the badger's back. The gouged out eyes of the canine laying across the chamitataxus.

Gutt had reacted immediately, snapping the wolf's neck before he reached in to grab the badger's form. By then, the smaller mammal had gone out cold, unconscious but holding onto life. Gutt had tried to shake him awake, to no avail. Shira had nearly gone sick at the sight, but quickly went to get Roshan, to make sure the child was alright. Thankfully, he was, but of course, he'd gotten worried sick as they were.

And now here they were, near an area of fallen trees and rocks. Enough wood to make a campfire, and on the trees were evergreen herbs that Gutt recognized — verdi curativi, his mother had called them. The elder was more experienced in this sort of thing, but taught him enough just in case. Now, he was very thankful she did. "We'll stop here," he decided.

Shira nodded and placed Roshan down on a small rock, which he sat on, looking worriedly at Gupta's battered form. Gutt gently laid Gupta down on a patch of dried leaves, before rushing to get the herbs. Shira went to start the fire, trying her best to smash the rocks and sticks together. Thankfully, it started.

The ape returned and began tending to the badger, applying the verdi curativi to the smaller mammal's wounds. "Hang in there, little guy," he murmured. "You're gonna be okay…" A part of him wasn't sure if he really believed his own words, but he had to remain faithful. He had to, for his companion's sake.

"How is he?" asked Shira, watching as the gigantopithecus was applying an healing herb to one of the wounds. She was fearing the worst, that he had taken too much damage and that he'd… that one of the guys she had grown close to over the journey would die. After all, badgers weren't very big. Just barely was Gupta strong enough to hold and carry Roshan, but to take on a predator twice his size? Might as well be facing the rhinos again, preparing to become a —

Gutt sighed as he pressed the herb over a particularly gnarly looking cut across Gupta's back. It moved slightly, up and down with the shallow breaths taken — so slow, so quiet, but still filled with enough life. "He's out of death's path, thankfully," he answered. "He took quite a hit, but he's a good fighter and persistent as ever." Thank god, he added silently. For once, the persistence was welcome.

Shira sighed in relief. "Good… so he'll live then." That's good, but… she trailed off in her mind, thinking of what would happen next. She didn't know if she wanted to really go through the plan anymore. She didn't want to face death, but she didn't want to exchange a child's life for her own. It wasn't right. It was wrong, so very wrong, and she couldn't go through it anymore—but she couldn't turn back now, though, due to what would happen if… oh, why is this so hard? She wanted to wail silently, bemoan over the turmoil within her and happening around her, but no, she wasn't even allowed that.

"I believe he will." Gutt looked at Gupta with a sad expression, feeling a pang of guilt. The badger had felt unwanted because of him, or at least he felt that was the case. He should have tried to get across that he didn't hold any contempt, but he was never good with making friends, not after— "I can't believe he felt like a burden…"

"Well, you weren't—I mean, we weren't exactly nice to him at the start," Shira began, shifting her paws uncomfortably. "I think Pinkster— Roshan…was the only one who seemed to accept him instantly. But the kid's always been so warm, loving…" Even when I don't deserve it. "…so is that a surprise? I don't think so." She looked down. "Gupta, though—I think…I think he listens to us too much, you know? He takes what we say about him, especially what you say…really seriously." Her teal eyes reflected sadness. A strange sight for the ape. "I – I think you're smart, don't get me wrong, but – but Gupta does too… and when we treat him like he's dumb, he believes he is! 'Cause he takes what we think to heart. Even when we don't—"

"You really think that?" the question left Gutt's mouth so fast. The thought swam through his mind. All this time… "I don't … why?"

At that, Shira grinned, a terrible grin without a trace of humor in it. Her teeth gleamed a ghostly white in the dark. "Do you really not know? Are you really … that stupid… yourself?"

Gutt frowned. He almost snapped back that he wasn't stupid. Almost. But that awful grin on the saber's face and the sadness in her eyes made the words shrivel up on his tongue.

"I don't know why I'm saying all of this," the saber sighed. "I'm as guilty as you are. Hell, I told him when we first met that I'd be chewing on his back…" She noticed Roshan crawling over to the badger, concerned. The infant poked the badger's cheek and babbled something.

"Gup?"

"Roshan, no," said Shira, quickly moving to the human child and grabbing him by his 'scruff'. "Don't do that. You'll—"

Gupta groaned and slowly blinked. He whimpered as his eyes flickered open. Roshan let out a happy coo and leaned as far as he could to touch his face, with the badger leaning into the baby's touch for a second. Then the feeling was replaced by the surprising, gentle touch of Shira's nose pressed to his. Shira was as strong and unforgiving as steel but when she wanted to be, she could be as soft as silk – only to those that deserved it. Gupta desperately needed a soft place to fall, and she provided that for him. He groaned again, but this time it was softer, more peaceful. His body relaxed and so did hers. It seemed, for now, that Gupta was going to be fine.

"Shira… Gutt… Roshan…" he murmured as his eyes finally opened. He looked at all of them before smiling. "You're all okay."

"Of course…partially thanks to you," Shira told him, giving him a light nuzzle. "Thank god you're okay." She couldn't imagine a world where he was gone, a world where his light was snubbed out. He along with Roshan were two upstarts she had grown fond of, despite that not being her intentions at all in the beginning – which made her feel all the more guilty. It's my fault you're hurt, she despaired in her mind. It's my fault this happened. If I hadn't followed those orders...

"Of – of course, heh… can't keep a good mammal down," Gupta said, chuckling lightly. He winced as a pain rushed through his back, where the wolf had clawed him. "Agggh!" He couldn't believe he forgot for a second that he'd gotten pierced there. Not too badly, he prayed…

"Try not to laugh too much," Gutt instructed, concern in his voice as he held his hands up. "The wounds are still fresh. Scars are forming. It'll take a few hours before the pain subsides, but since it's been treated, you should heal quicker than if there weren't any herbs applied." Would Ma be proud that I wound up using her lessons for good? he wondered. He'd never know, due to her fate. He imagined a smile on the old ape's face, a pat on the back and a that's my boy from his pops, even. But that was just an idea.

"Scars?" Gupta glanced at his back, and saw that over the skull were three fresh scars. His eyes widened, realizing that the cut had been more larger than he thought. But seeing there was an healing herb applied, he sighed in semi-relief, knowing it wouldn't get infected. A consequence for running into battle with a predator twice my size, he thought. But it was worth it, for… he looked to Roshan, who smiled so happy, so relieved. And he smiled back. "Suppose you're not the only one with an experience in bloodbaths now, Gutt. Shira."

Gutt's expression hardened. "How could you do that?" he demanded to know. "Running to fight a wolf – do you understand how insane that was? It's twice your size, and you – you gouged its eyes out! Why would you endanger yourself like that? You could have … you could have died!"

"I had to!" Gupta defended his decision, his brow furrowing. "I had to do something to keep it from attacking Roshan. I couldn't live with myself if I just stood around and did nothing, if I just— gah!" He grit his teeth as another pain surged through as he sat up, but he tried to ignore it. "If I just remained wasteful. If I died back there, then it would be an honorable death." He puffed his chest out. "To die protecting the innocent is better than to stand aside and let someone get hurt."

"Wasteful? What makes you think you are wasteful?" asked Gutt, frowning deeply at his companion's words. He felt guilt weigh heavily on him. Was Shira right? Was he really so stupid? So unthoughtful? "You're not wasteful, and you're not a burden."

"I didn't pay much of my debt back," Gupta argued, biting his lip, feeling his own type of guilt. "And I've been a bit of nuisance. So loud and obnoxious. I'm surprised you and Shira haven't gotten so sick of me yet."

"Nuisance? Obnoxious? You, never," Gutt was quick to shut that idea down. He knew he wasn't good with expressing his emotions—positive ones, at least—but he had to reassure him that wasn't the case. That he never thought that low of him, not for a second. "I used to think you were a runt, yes. I used to think you were cowardly. But over time, I realized, you were just overly optimistic and wounded, from all the times your family left you." He swayed a bit as he sadly shook his head. "I understand now that you were insecure… but sometimes, your questions stung and—I have my own fears too, you know? It's hard for me to get close to someone because I've lost…I've had my own painful experiences with family. So it took me a while to see from your view, because I've kept up an ice wall around me for so long." It feels like it's been so long, anyhow.

Gupta's eyebrows knit together. "Gutt, mujhe khed hai…"

"It's fine." Gutt dismissively waved a hand through the air, careful not to tumble as he did so. He had to keep steady, had to make this right… he had to fix this. "But the point is – because I have a point – the point is, you're not a nuisance or obnoxious. A little loud, yes, but not a burden. Actually, you're helpful in a really bizarre way, going out there to face off the wolf to help Roshan. That takes true bravery." He gave a light- careful not to be too rough on the new scars- pat on the badger's back. "And Shira said you listen to us when we…well, aren't savory. Which is weird, because you usually didn't seem to care about what I say at all, so I wanted you to know that—"

"Shira, you said what?"

The saber and gigantopithecus both blinked at the badger. Gupta looked upset still, though Shira couldn't think of a reason why that should be – until it hit her.

"It hit me as we were bringing you here." She shifted her paws uncomfortably. "And it hurt me, because I was partially a cause of that…and I didn't like contributing to your insecurity. Because I don't hold any contempt for you. I don't think you're an idiot."

"And neither do I," Gutt added in. "Not anymore. You're…a bit smart, actually. Smart, and a valuable member of this group." He smiled, sadly. "I just didn't know it until you went and showed it." And then, the next words left, shocking both of his mammal companions, "Gupta, I'm sorry."

Gupta opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "You're forgiven."

"I know I've been really harsh on you," Gutt went on, not really registering the chamitataxus' words. He had been so cold, and it had taken a while for him to thaw…and now that he was ready, he was desperate to make sure he hadn't— "I understand if you hold any grudges, or if you are upset."

"Gutt, I – I'm not upset at you or Shira…" Gupta swallowed, trying to keep his emotions from overwhelming him. He had always wanted this, affirmation that he wasn't a burden, but now he didn't know what to say or do. Here he was seeing a softer side of the gigantopithecus, and he was befuddled as to what to do. All he could say was, "I just wanted to prove myself, and to be your friend. If I have that, then I'm fine… grudges aren't my thing."

Gutt beamed at that, a warmth going through him. It might have just been the relief, but he didn't think so – it had to be some kind of joy, too. "That's good! 'Cause you know what? I think…I think you're a good friend. No, a great friend that any ape, tiger or human could ever ask for!" And he meant it, every single word.

Gupta's face broke into a wide grin. "Really?" It sounded too good to be true. He had to claw himself, to see if he was dreaming—

"Really!" Shira chimed in, grinning widely. "You're amazing."

Roshan squealed and clapped his hands, nodding his head in agreement. He tried to form a word, but he couldn't, so he made little sounds in an attempt to get his word across – that he, too, thought highly of the badger. He was so brave, just like his parents and the tribesmen! And he was helping him so much, just like the other two…so the human child wished to see him happy.

Gupta teared up. For so long, he wanted this – to belong to something. To have real friends. To be helpful. Now he had friends, those that believed in him, that didn't think he was a pain… friends that cared about him. He felt so happy, so joyful.

Life wasn't perfect, and it would never be without its downsides, but in this moment, it felt close to perfection.

"Aapako dhanyavaad, guys… you're all wonderful. I don't know where I'd be without you all." Gupta looked to Roshan and reached his paw out, gently patting the child's arm. "Especially you. You may be a little light, but you shine brightest of all."

Roshan smiled, a pure joyful one, and crawled towards the badger to give him a hug. He wanted to express his gratitude more, to tell him how grateful he was for his help – for everyone's help, really. That they were the best friends he had, and the best saviors a kid could ask for – but he lacked the proper words. All he could say were babbles and coos, but with this hug, he prayed it would be enough to get his message through. Just as he prayed within days, they would find his father and he would be home.

Feeling Gupta hug back, the infant eased up, especially when he heard him say: "You too, kid. You too."

Shira felt her heart melt at the sight. Such a wonderful sweetness filled the atmosphere. She never felt happier since… since she was with her own family. So to see this, to see the human child and the badger hug, to be finally able to admit she saw Gupta as a good companion, to see Gutt's own heart thaw and to see this much more sincere side of him – it overwhelmed her. It felt like the happiness returned, somehow, in the form of this band of misfits.

Which was when she was starting to come to grasp the fact that, I can't continue with this mission. I can't do it.

To throw this all away for the sake of saving her skin, it was unthinkable now. Sabers weren't supposed to soften up like little cubs, sabers were supposed to be remorseless assassins, but she wasn't a proper saber. She knew now she never really fit that mold, not in the way the pack would want her to. From her fur to the way her heart had begun to thaw, she knew…she was the opposite. And the guilt from the fact she was the cause of this, that she had led the child's mother to her demise…it ate at her like termites in wood. A parasitical guilt gnawing at her until she was feeling hollow, pained by the weight of her actions.

What have I done?

She was only torn from her burden for a moment, as Gutt spoke up.

"I'm proud of you, Gupta." The sincerity and genuine nature in his tone was unmistakable. There was no coldness, no sense of the icy walls set up around the ape's heart—he was true. "You did good." He gave him another pat on the back. "By tomorrow, you'll be alright enough to continue moving. But next time, don't gouge out the eyes of something that's twice your size. I don't want to lose you…pal." At the last word, a small grin formed on Gutt's face.

The chamitataxus beamed again. "Understood…friend." He was grinning now, as well.

Seeing the two smile at each other, Shira forced her own smile, trying to not let the guilt plague her. But it was hard. What am I doing? I shouldn't be here. I'm the reason Roshan's mother died. I'm the reason Gupta has his scars. I'm the reason Gutt had to— suddenly, she heard a squeal. She snapped out of it, only to see Roshan pointed his hand at her, a smile on his face.

As if he was letting her know he hadn't forgotten about her. That he was also grateful to her. And when Gupta and Gutt looked at her with such genuine grins, she felt herself melt even more. It had been easy to keep her guard up, to put walls around herself, but to open up? To show her own soft side? It was difficult.

Yet she managed to. Her smile became less forced. Her steps toward them were genuine as they were in their happiness. So was her playful question, "And what am I?"

"You're our pussycat," Gutt teased in return, his grin growing. A welcome upstart, he meant to say. But he wasn't ready to say that yet. To admit that he was beginning to feel something for her… but to accept her as a welcome fellow traveler? To slowly start to get used to seeing her as a friend? He was nearing that, slowly but surely.

Shira's eyes narrowed, but she kept a grin. "Didn't say you could call me that, monkey boy," she continued the teasing. Talking with him had been hard at the start, but now she felt more relaxed, more at ease. To talk with him was easier than any of her pack members, especially Soto, to the point where she wished she hadn't been so callous in the beginning – to the point where she wished she could've taken back that night, where she had informed those two fleabags of…

"I know, but I like to." Gutt nudged Shira's shoulder, light and careful. Like they had been friends all along, the way it was supposed to be … or, it felt to him that it was. That this was a gift, somehow given by Roshan. Somehow, in choosing to aid him, he had been given the chance to have friends… and a new start in life. For once, he felt like his life was taking a better direction, ever since he had lost his family. "Get used to it. You'll be stuck as the pussycat for a couple more days."

"Fear not, Shira," Gupta chimed in, going over to the tigress' other side, cozying up slightly. "I also consider you my friend."

Roshan giggled and hugged her foreleg. He was so happy to see everyone in this state, enjoying each other's company, bonding so nicely after such a scary incident. It was delightful to see his favorite mammals all getting along after so much turmoil.

Shira felt herself nearly tearing up. It was too much to handle, and she didn't deserve this – not for the sins she committed, the life she had inadvertently taken. She deserved scorn, their ire, but instead they showed her kindness. If they had known the truth, she knew she would be no longer at Gutt's good side, but at his mercy.

"You're all wonderful," she spoke, her voice getting choked up. "I…I'm so grateful to have you guys travel with me. Truly, I am." I'm so sorry… I shouldn't be here. You shouldn't be here. You should be safe and sound… far away.

Gutt held Shira's paw in his hand, his fingers curling around the pads and giving it a light squeeze. She leaned on him, squeezing his hand back gently. "As am I," the ape whispered, and that familiar warmth surged through as he saw the tigress' eyes light up in a such a way, that he wondered why he ever generalized her kind. Or why he had generalized any member of this bizarre group.

"We're such a strange bunch," Gupta remarked as he leaned on Shira, a light chuckle escaping him. "I mean, three mammals of different groups, species and sizes, brought together by our want to help a human… it's a story you'd only hear in a folktale." He glanced at his back. "Yet I've got the scars to prove that this is real."

"And I wouldn't have it any other way," Gutt said, as the group began to curl up together in a sleeping pile of sorts. He brought Roshan close, cradling him in his other arm. "Even if the circumstances weren't ideal, if I had the chance to go back? I wouldn't change a single thing. Especially not you, Pinky." Little light that shines the brightest.

Roshan touched Gutt's face, as if to say he felt the same. He would miss them all when they would part ways, but maybe they'd see each other again? He could only dream. And so he did, as his eyes drooped shut and he yawned before letting sleep overtake him.

"Goodnight, Pinky," whispered Gutt, feeling himself tear up as he thought of his Luce. Thought of what could have been, but wasn't. Thought of how this was his second chance, a chance to somehow…make up for his error, his inability to rescue his own child. Your father doesn't deserve to lose you, he wished to say. And you shouldn't have lost your mother. He looked to his companions. "Goodnight, Gupta. Shira." Neither of them deserved the pain life put them through, either. Yet they were all overcoming the darkness, slowly walking towards a lighter, more hopeful path.

A better future.

"Buenas noches, Gutt. Roshan. Gupta."

"Shubh raatri, Gutt. Roshan. Shira."

With that, the three mammals went to sleep, and as Gutt was the last to allow slumber to overwhelm him... he thought that perhaps, he wasn't nearing the end of a journey. No, he was walking towards the start of a new one.

A new life.

Chapter Text

As promised, Gupta made a quick recovery thanks to the herbs and the care he was given. Though the scars would never go away, he considered them a symbol of the sacrifice he was willing to make for the friend he'd made in Roshan — that, and a symbol of what he gained in Gutt and Shira. He was able to move around without much pain in a day, and happily pranced outside the cave in the snow, which had slightly thawed under the morning's warmth. Gutt watched on with a smile on his face while Roshan was in his arms, cooing as some snow fell on his nose. It was little moments like these that were touching.

"Ah, I see you're already up," said Shira as she walked up to his side, briefly pressing herself to him. A smile was on her face as she looked ahead, seeing the chamitataxus prancing about in the snow. "It's a fine day, isn't it?"

"Morning, sunshine," Gutt greeted her, pressing his neck to hers as his own greeting. "Sure is a nice day. Much more light." He took a breath in, then out. "And the atmosphere's mighty fine, too."

Roshan nodded his head in agreement, before touching Shira's muzzle. Shira flinched for a second, the guilt of the fact she deprived him of his real mother burning, but she found herself easing into the touch. A small purr arose from the back of her throat as she nuzzled his tiny hand. Roshan laughed happily.

"Aww! Shira's got a sweet side after all," came a coo from Gupta. In seriousness, it was touching for him to see her ease up, given how guarded she was. He understood why — she had gone through her own hell — but still, it was nice to see her open up more. There's that side of her I always wanted to see, just as I wanted to see Gutt's nicer side, he thought to himself with a smile.

The tigress looked ahead and frowned, in a more playful manner rather than annoyed. "Don't push it," she warned him, teasingly. "I've still got dignity."

"Sure you do," Gupta teased back. He made a gesture for the two mammals to move forward. "Chalo bhee, guys. The snow's not as cold as yesterday!"

"I don't think we've got much time to play around in the snow," Gutt said, stepping forward with uncertainty. "After all, we've still got our duty."

"Oh, yes, of course." Gupta nodded, then raised a paw pad. "But perhaps we can make the trip fun?"

Gutt shrugged, walking past Gupta. "As long as it doesn't involve any sliding on ice," he said, looking back at the badger. Or going through caves that cause memories of the past to resurface, the ape added to himself. He didn't want to relive the moment he lost Marcella, the moment he lost Luce, his parents and – everything he had loved back then. He had even lost himself for a while, discarding 'Pasquale' for what he was now… Gutt. Sure, he was slowly opening up to his mammal companions, gaining a friend in Gupta and Roshan, and hell... he even was warming up to Shira. But he wasn't ready to –

"Don't worry," Gupta cut off his train of thought with his response. He waved a paw coolly. "There won't be any of that, I promise." The sliding was a nightmare, he added silently, shuddering a bit at the memory. Not as horrific as facing off wolves, but the scare he got seeing Roshan slide off...it was too much for his small heart.

"If you say so," Gutt said with a sigh. He allowed himself to smile though. Friends – he couldn't recall ever having one, at least not in this sense of brethren. In the troop, he was an extrovert, but that only drove others away. Coupled with an appearance that could be considered threatening and well, it was safe to say he was only close to his own family. But now, he had friends, from the most unlikely circumstances. A bizarre twist in the path he had taken, but he wasn't regretting anything now. "Hey, tigress, up front – you're the tracker, after all." Could this upstart become as important? he wondered. He cared for her, he knew now, but what was she to him? He still didn't know exactly. A part of him hesitated with her, to call her "friend", because the last time he had bonded with a female of her ilk was with…

"Oh, Pasquale, you may sometimes act like an uncouth bruiser, but you really are such a sweetheart."

He shook his head. No, he would learn to let this saber into his heart, he knew it. But it would take just a bit more time. He would have to see more from her, learn more of her, before he could do that. And he was willing to wait a little, to give it a chance—to give her a chance.

"Lo tiene, señor mono," said Shira with a salute, before moving in front of the group. She winked back at him, before looking ahead as she began to lead the way.

She was starting to like the nicknames he came up with for her. Every time he uttered those words or said her name, she felt nice. She felt wanted, appreciated, seen as something else than just 'merely useful' as she was with Soto. Was this what real friendship was like? If so, she didn't know how much she had yearned for it until now. Pack life was so suffocating in comparison, so harsh and cruel, with the high-ranking alphas controlling and bringing so much pain upon others… and she couldn't stand it. She only put up with it because she once believed in the delusions, told herself she could live such a life if she just buried her emotions, to the point where she committed an act that brought her onto Soto's low levels.

It was because of her that a family was torn apart. A son lost his mother, and the father lost his mate— and she was the one to blame. Worst of all, she was the only one that knew besides… Shira shuddered.

I can't live like this anymore, she thought, heart heavy with guilt. I can't let Soto take Pinkster and… but I can't tell them that I… there's nothing I can do… is there? There had to be a way to make amends, to fix things, to make it alright but she didn't know how or if it was even remotely within her control to do so. Had she fallen so far that she wasn't able to repent? The burden of guilt was crushing her like a bunch of boulders. I have to do something. I have to warn them somehow, or just protect them… or else I'll never be able to live with myself.

Shira never felt so filthy, so careless in her life. In trying to avenge her parents, she only ended up being no better than their killers— or worse, she stooped lower. What have I done? I should have never gone along with Soto's plans.

The tigress felt her breath hitch in her throat, something stinging the corners of her eyes, and each step felt heavy. But hearing Roshan's giggles and babbling, she pressed on. It wasn't right for a regular tiger to grow fond of a human, to turn back on its pack to keep it alive, but she never was going at being the perfect saber, now was she? Not at all. So she turned her head back slightly, giving the infant a small smile.

Seeing Roshan smile back, Shira knew then and there she would do anything to make sure none of her remaining pack members, including her vile leader, would lay a claw on him. Not unless they wished to answer to her.

Look around,
There's no one but you and me.
Right here and now,
The way it was meant to be.

"Once upon a time, there lived a great bird named Bharunda, on the banks of a lake."

Gupta was telling a story to make the hours seem like they weren't going on and on, amusing his companions, especially Roshan. The young human was so engrossed in the story, having never heard anything like it before, not even from his papa or mama. Papa always spoke of catching food and hunting, and Mama always spoke of the beauty of nature, how all creatures had something special to them. Mama's stories stood out more though, because he found himself more faithful in that idea, with it being proven to him right now. But the story Gupta was telling sounded very unique, so much different that Roshan couldn't help but lean over on Gutt's back, trying to hear in more.

Gutt grunted slightly, though an amused smile remained on his face. "A great bird? Of what species?" he asked. He recalled hearing his own fair share of old folktales back when he was young, and of how he was enthralled by them. So fantastic, like a wild dream becoming real, but of course it was all just kid's tales in the end. Nothing true to it. Still, it was always nice to recall the wild stories his parents told him.

"Tell me what happened next, pop!"

"So then, the ape spoke to the lion—"

"Niero, the ape didn't speak to the lion. He simply guided him using movement as a way to convey his message."

"Nora, I'm trying to make the story easier for the boy!"

"But that's not how it went!"

"How did it go then, ma?"

"The ape showed the lion two paths. One was a path of light, and the other a path of darkness…"

"A yellow crane," said Gupta. The badger paused for a moment, trying to recall the details. "At least, I recall that my mother told me it was a crane." He shrugged. "It's an old folktale. The story was passed on for so long, certain details got fuzzy."

"Sounds like the average type of kid's tale," Gutt snorted. He gestured for the chamitataxus to go on. "But do continue, please."

"It was strange because he had two necks with two heads, but shared the common body," Gupta continued. "One day, as the bird was wandering, it found a delicious looking red-golden fruit."

"Wait, two heads and two necks?" Shira's muzzle scrunched up. "Sounds like he's got twice the headache and neck cramps."

Gupta snickered at this. "No, not really – well, maybe, but that's not the point! As I was saying: it found a delicious fruit. The bird was very happy. The first mouth took a bite of the fruit, elated by its nectarine taste. 'Wow, this fruit tastes like nectar! I've eaten many fruits 'till now, but really, nothing has tasted good as this fruit,' said the first mouth."

"How would they know what nectar tastes like?" Shira asked, skeptical. She didn't know what nectar tasted like herself, being a carnivore, but she would imagine it wasn't different from most fruit... right?

"The juices of a simple fruit like pineapples or peaches are different than nectar," Gutt explained to the tigress, placing one of his hands on her shoulder. "Nectar is found in other fruits, and it's much sweeter and special." He pinched his fingers together with his hand. "It's a taste you can never forget." He grinned at her. "I'm sure you understand that feeling, right?"

The saber simply stood there for a few moments, her body completely locked in place and utterly still even as her mind tried to comprehend. Even had she wanted to, she didn't think she would be able to tear her gaze away from those spellbinding eyes in front of her or that strange, charismatic smile.

Finally, and just a bit nervously, Shira returned the other mammal's smile with one of her own. "Actually, Gutt? I think I do know."

Gutt gave a nod, as though something important had just been decided between the both of them. "I just knew you'd be able to understand it, despite being a carnivore."

They continued walking while Gupta went on with the story, grinning as he hopped in front. "The second mouth said, 'Then let me have a taste as well. After all, I share labor and hardship with you, so it is only fair we share this fruit just as we've shared our other foods.' But the first mouth objected, 'You can eat other fruits.'"

Roshan frowned. He didn't like how selfish the first head of the bird sounded, and the child pouted while voicing his disdain through a displeased sound.

"Yes, it is selfish and rude of him to not share," Gupta agreed, recognizing what the infant was trying to say. "However, the first head kept making up excuses, even as his fellow head tried to reason. 'I never tasted nectar. Why am I not allowed to try it?' asked the second head. The first one's answer was, 'I told you what it tastes like. Why are you making fuss of such a small thing? I admit that, we both are different, but our stomach is common. That's why whatever we eat, that goes in our stomach. So don't worry, and focus on your own food.' By saying this, the first head offered the first food to his lover, instead of giving it to the second head, and his lover began to eat the fruit in front of the second head." The badger shook his head after that, starting to realize in hindsight this story seemed more like a lesson to always share with family. Perhaps that's why mother and father told us this countless times when we were young?

"What a load of…" Gutt trailed off, before stopping himself in realizing a child was present on his back. "The first guy sounds like a piece of work. I understand wanting to impress his mate, but that's his twin technically – he should have just given him a bite."

Shira was amused by the ape's rather emotional reaction. "Since when did you get so invested in kids' tales?" she asked him.

"My parents would tell me a lot of 'em," Gutt replied, shrugging his shoulders. And they were good at it, he thought, nostalgic and bittersweetly.

"Ah."

"Perhaps then you could tell the next story, my friend?" Gupta suggested, intrigued.

Gutt thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Sure."

Roshan clapped in excitement. "Oo-ooh, oo-ooh!"

Gupta laughed while Gutt rolled his eyes in amusement of the child's attempt to mimic an ape. "I don't sound like that," the gigantopithecus said, a bit defensive. Though he did recall how he acted towards that one family at the start of the migration, and he winced. Had he really been that bad? "Not entirely."

There's a smile on my face,

Knowing that together, everything that's in our way,

We're better than alright.

"Anyway," Gupta went on with the story, "seeing the sight, the second head felt enraged. He decided to take revenge on the first head and without saying anything to the first head, he turned his face away from him. They didn't speak a word to each other for the rest of the day, with the second head waiting for the right opportunity to have his vengeance.

"One day, his chance came in the form of a poisonous fruit. He showed the first mouth the poisonous fruit. 'Now I will eat this fruit,' he proclaimed. 'We have one stomach.'"

Roshan whimpered and buried his face in Gutt's fur. He didn't like where this was going, and he felt scared.

"Don't worry, pinky," Gutt tried to calm him down. "It's just a story. It's not real." Still, he too was startled by the turn of events it had taken. Poison? In a kid's tale? Now this was quite a whiplash.

Shira was silent. Revenge – that was why she was here and yet, she couldn't imagine stooping to that low now. And strangely enough, for a second, she could see traces of herself and Soto in – no, it was just a folktale. But then why did it feel familiar? She shuddered.

"Hearing this, the first mouth was scared. He didn't expect this to ever happen. He said, 'Hey wait, wait! Please don't eat this fruit! We'll both die if you do, because - because we have one stomach!' The second mouth just shrugged him off. 'Nothing will happen to you,' he replied coolly. 'Because you have already tasted nectar, so you have become immortal.' The first mouth tried to persuade the second mouth, but the second mouth wouldn't listen, and so he ate the poisonous fruit."

"What kind of stories do they tell kids back where you came from?" asked Gutt displeased, while Roshan tried to hide his face behind the ape's hair tuft. "I don't think you should be telling this to Pinky."

"There's always a moral at the end of these, I promise," Gupta insisted, holding a paw up in defense. "Just... keep listening?"

"Is the moral to not be a jerk to your brethren?" asked Shira, raising a brow.

"You'll see." Gupta waved a claw at her, then went on to finish the story: "Poison went to the stomach. Both the heads were in agony, the body stumbling around until finally, it collapsed to the ground and both heads died. In this way, the two-headed bird forgot the meaning of morality. He died because of disdain. So the moral is that we should never let ego and selfishness come between familial relationships."

"That, and share your fruit," Gutt added, snorting. "Such a weird way to end a folktale, don't you think?"

"Not all folktales have happy endings," Gupta told him simply. "Sometimes, life is cruel."

Shira nodded silently, many thoughts going through her mind. Died because of disdain. Will that happen to me? she feared. She didn't want to go down that path anymore, but was there a way out? She wanted to know. She needed to know.

Roshan peeked his head out and tapped the ape's shoulder, whining. He wanted to hear a different story.

Gutt sighed. "Alright, kid, I'll tell you a story." He thought for a moment, trying to think of which one to tell him. Then it came to him. "This story," he cleared his throat, "is about a young ape named Biancabella and a snake."

Both Gupta and Roshan were intrigued. "Ooohhhh!" they said in awe, with the baby gently gripping onto the back of Gutt's neck while Gupta moved to walk closer.

Shira chuckled. "A snake and an ape… an odd pair, don't you think?" she asked him in amusement. Yet in contrast to her words, she moved even closer to him, their forelegs brushing. The feeling made her face feel warm, and she tried to fight the warmth she felt in her chest and stomach. He's an herbivore, and a monkey... you're a tigress and a huntress. Don't think about it, stupid girl.

"It's not a romance. Just listen to the story," Gutt replied, a smirk on his face. He took a breath in and began to tell the tale. "A leader of a troop of gigantopithecus had no children. One day, his wife slept beneath a tree, and a grass snake slithered into her womb. Soon afterwards, she became pregnant and gave birth to a girl with a snake wrapped about her neck. The healers were frightened, but the snake slithered off into the grass without harming anyone."

"The snake did what?!" Gupta shrieked, his eyes wide. He gagged and retched, paws scraping at his sides in disgust. "That's gross, Gutt! And you judged the folktale I was telling, when at least there were no birds crawling up wombs!"

"It's not graphic," Gutt replied, rolling his eyes. He looked to Roshan, the child simply blinking at him. "And Pinky doesn't seem to care much."

"He's a baby, genius," Shira said with a roll of her eyes. "He can't understand what… that stuff is about… and besides, it's so weird." She shivered at the imagery. Snake in the womb? At least I don't believe in this stuff, but still…

Gutt scoffed. "Not weirder than what you sabers could come up with. Once this story is over, I want you to tell me a story," he challenged her. "Then we'll see which one is the weirdest." He shouldn't be getting so defensive, but he couldn't help it – his mother told him this story when he was in his teenage years. He had an attachment to this folktale, nostalgic and painful as it was. And ridiculous, in a lot of aspects. But he wouldn't let this tiger ridicule it, even if he was taking a liking to her.

"Fine, I'll tell you a story!" Shira accepted his challenge. "We sabers are masters at crafting tales." She appeared confident but inside, she trembled, knowing that she was living a tall tale herself. You've been lying, spinning a story of being torn from your pack. How can you live with yourself? she berated herself.

Gutt stared at the saber, before going on. "The girl was named Biancabella. When she turned ten, the snake spoke to her in the treetops, telling her that she was her sister, Samaritana, and that if Biancabella obeyed her, she would be happy but miserable if she did not."

"So it's an odd family then," Shira remarked. "A snake and a monkey are sisters... somehow, the two-headed bird was more believable."

"Keep going, keep going!" Gupta urged, finding himself interested in this tale.

Roshan nodded and gurgled in agreement with the badger. Gutt smirked, looking at his saber companion. "So the snake then ordered her to bring her two shells, one filled with milk and one filled with rosewater."

Walking between the raindrops,

Riding the aftershock beside you.

Off into the sunset,

Living like there's nothing left to lose.

"When Biancabella returned to the tree her family resided in, she was distressed so her mother asked her what made her so sad," Gutt continued the tale. "Biancabella asked for the shells, which her mother gave her, and she carried them into the grassy area below. The snake then had Biancabella pour the milk and rosewater onto herself. She became even more beautiful, and when her fur was combed it shed jewels, and when her hands were washed, they shed flowers."

"Wow! That sounds…amazing," Gupta remarked in awe. He hadn't heard of a story like this, well, ever. "Did flowers really shed from her hands?"

"Yes," said Gutt with a nod.

Roshan's eyes were wide as he took it all in. It sounded grander than the stories he had been told, and even the story about the birds…and thankfully, not as scary. Though a bit bizarre. But then it made him wonder, if a snake and an ape could be family, then so could a gigantopithecus, a saber and a chamitataxus. And these three seemed like a family.

Shira seemed skeptical. "Milk and rosewater granting beauty? Please! Get real," she snorted. "So ridiculous…" Deep down though, she was getting interested. It sounded more interesting than whatever tales Soto spun around, in an attempt to impress her – to pull her in, now that she looked back on it. Stories that were too far-fetched and not in a fun sense, unlike Gutt's story – and they were so dreary, too.

"Asking for realism in a folktale? You need to get real," Gutt retorted. But he noticed the look of intrigue in the feline's eyes, the way they spoke words she wouldn't say aloud, 'Keep going.' He smiled coyly and continued, "This attracted many suitors. Finally, her father agreed to marry her to Ferrandino, the leader of a nearby troop. After they were mated, Biancabella called on Samaritana, but the snake did not come to her. Biancabella realized she must have disobeyed her and grieved for the snake, but left with her new mate.

"Ferrandino's stepmother, who wanted to pair him off to one of her ugly daughters, was enraged. Some time later, Ferrandino had to go to fight off hunters. While he was gone, his stepmother ordered her closest friends to take Biancabella away and kill her, bringing back proof of her death."

"Oh no!" cried Gupta, gasping dramatically. Roshan mimicked the badger's frantic nature, though he was definitely a bit scared. Not a lot, just a bit— or so he told himself.

"She'll be fine," Shira said, though she sounded unsure herself. And then came the strange sense of familiarity and guilt again, reminding her of the morning she had… and when the female human jumped from the…

"Turns out your assumption is somewhat accurate," Gutt told her. Then he raised a finger. "But only slightly."

"Oh? Do tell," Shira replied, nudging her foreleg on his.

Gutt chuckled, feeling his own face heat up from their forelegs making contact. Their eyes met for a brief moment, umber staring into blue. And in that moment, he started to wonder if maybe, she was more than just a little upstart that tagged along for her own gain.

Chasing after gold mines,

Crossing the fine lines we knew.

"They took her away, and while they did not kill her, they did gouge out her eyes and claw off her hands. The stepmother gave word that her own daughters had died, and that the leader's mate had miscarried and was ill; then, she put her own daughter into Biancabella's nest. Ferrandino was greatly distressed when he returned."

"I wonder why," said Shira dryly.

"That sounds horrible!" Gupta bemoaned.

"Biancabella called on Samaritana but once again, she did not come. An old ape found her and brought her to his tree. His wife rebuked him, because she had doubtlessly been punished for some crime, but he insisted. Biancabella asked one of his three daughters to comb her fur. The old woman did not want her daughter to be a servant, but the girl obeyed and jewels came out of Biancabella's fur."

Roshan tilted his head. He ran his hand through Gutt's fur, wondering if jewels would emerge. It didn't happen and he let out a whine.

Gutt laughed. "I'm afraid it's just a story, Pinky."

"So what happened next?" Gupta asked, leaning close. "Tell me!" He was desperate to know how the story finished, so engrossed in it that each detail thrilled him.

"Yeah, what did happen, monkey boy?" asked Shira, bumping her shoulder on his.

"Well…" Gutt smoothed out his hat-like hair, grinning as he saw how into the story his companions– and Roshan, clinging to him eagerly and babbling away– were. Such a nice audience they were. He would miss them when the time came to… no, now was not the time to think about that. "The family was greatly pleased because she had delivered them from a rough situation. After a few weeks passed, Biancabella asked the old man to bring her back to where she had been found, and there she called on Samaritana until she finally thought of killing herself. Samaritana appeared to stop her, and Biancabella appealed for forgiveness. Samaritana restored her eyes and hands, and then herself transformed into a ape."

Hold on and take a breath,

I'll be here every step,

Walking between the raindrops with you.

Gupta gasped, eyes wide. "Samaritana was an ape all along?!"

Shira blinked, trying to process what she just heard. "That's… that's… that's bizarre. That's impossible! That's— that's a lot more interesting than the stories I've heard…" she sighed, conceding with the idea of the ape being a better storyteller than any saber she had ever known, and even herself. The imagination he had, the way she envisioned the tale and how it played out— it was actually fun. The most fun she had in a while, and it was from an ape. Sabers didn't usually hunt gigantopithecus, but any herbivore was considered prey, no matter if they were primary or not. Which made her feel so conflicted.

"Glad you think so," said Gutt in a cheeky manner.

Roshan looked at Gutt in awe, touching his cheek. "Ooooh." He hadn't expected that twist coming. He was on the edge of his current resting place, aka the ape's back.

Gutt's heart almost melted. The kid was too precious, so full of curiosity and—and it reminded him of what could have been, if Marcella lived. If their Luce got the chance to—

No... there's no time in dwelling in the past. He pushed that to the back of his mind and went on: "After a time, the sisters, the old ape and his mate, and their daughters went to Naples, where Samaritana built them a large sanctuary. Ferrandino saw the females, and they told him that they had been exiled and had come there to live. He brought the apes of his troop, including his stepmother, to the place, where Samaritana told a servant to sing Biancabella's story without including the names.

"Then she asked what would be a fitting punishment. The stepmother, thinking to evade notice, said she should be cast into a large bonfire. Samaritana told the king the truth; Ferrandino ordered the stepmother to be thrown into a bonfire, paired off the old man's three daughters to good mates, and lived happily with Biancabella until he died, and his son succeeded him."

Gupta clapped. "Bravo! Adbhut kahaanee!" he cheered.

"Not bad," Shira said with a small smile.

Roshan let out his own cheer, having enjoyed the story himself. Gutt bowed at each of the praises, soaking it up. "Thank you, thank you, lads!" he said, winking at Shira afterward. "I believe it's your turn now, pussycat."

Shira cleared her throat. "Alright then, here it goes… just know that we sabers aren't really into these grand tales," she added the last part quickly. It wasn't a lie; it was true, sabers didn't know how to tell big stories like apes or badgers could, so it seemed. But since she took on Gutt's challenge, she might as well. At least Pinkster seems interested.

"I'm sure it will be fun!" Gupta tried to reassure his feline friend, now rushing over to her side. He grinned up at her, showing his sharp pearly whites. You can never bore me, he wanted to say. You're always so interesting. But he couldn't, not when he knew how it would sound if he said it aloud… "Tell us, Shira!"

"Yeah, go on, tigress," Gutt urged her, his voice now soft. "Tell us a story." Tell me a story.

"Tiiiggaa!" Roshan gurgled, giving the tigress big eyes. He wanted to hear one more story, especially since this walk was getting long and he didn't want to doze off just yet.

Shira looked between the three, took a breath in, and then took breath out. "Okay, so… in a valley, long ago, there were two packs of sabers. One was of white-furred sabers, and another of dark-furred sabers. Juan, a dark-furred saber, and Isabel, a white-furred saber. The two were in love as childhood playmates but when they were both at an eligible age to mate, Juan's pack had come across a rough time."

Take me now,

The world's such a crazy place.

"A love story? I never knew you were a romantic," Gupta remarked, his smile growing. He cozied up to Shira's leg, feeling a surge of joy rush through him. "Go on, I'm listening!" Miss Juliette…

"I'm not—I don't—uh…" Shira laughed nervously, glancing away from the badger, trying to focus her eyes anywhere else. Her eyes fell upon Gutt, an amused look on his face. Roshan looked on curiously from the ape's back, being the precious child he was.

I don't deserve to have you give me a chance. I don't deserve any of you guys, your hospitability, your kindness—none of it. That was her thought, but she hid it well, keeping an awkward look and chuckling, as if she wasn't hiding her own darkness beneath.

"She's telling a story, Gupta," Gutt said in a playful, scolding manner. He waved his hand in a way that made it appear as though he were trying to playfully swat at the chamitataxus. His eyes focused on the tigress again, wondering what story she had to tell. "Tell us, Shira, how does it go?"

Shira relaxed. She appreciated the way the gigantopithecus took a calmer approach. Why had she pegged him as a shrewd monkey prior to this? He was merely more level-headed, the brains of sorts. She liked that, and…she liked him. She liked him more than she wanted to. "Juan's pack had run out of caribou," she went on. "His padre, the leader, went to Isabel's father – the leader of her pack – for help. But he refused the offer of joining their packs through mating off Isabel to Juan. Juan, however, was able to make an agreement with the father in which he would leave the valley for five years to try to build his hunting skills. If Juan was able to gain wealth within those five years he would be able to be mates with his love, Isabel."

"Did he succeed?" Gupta asked, eagerly following behind the tigress as the group trekked forward on the road. Or are they destined to fail, like star-crossed lovers? Unable to love because of the division, where the pale furs are unable to become one with the dark-furred… he found himself remembering Shira's words, from the day she told him hints of her pack life. Pale furred sabers didn't mix with dark furred sabers, so if that was the case… would he be unlucky, for his fur was mostly darker than hers, and he wasn't even a tiger? The thought caused a dilemma, despair and— "Juan has to win Isabel's heart! It can't end with the barriers succeeding!"

"Calm down, Gupta!" Gutt tried to soothe the badger. "It's just a folktale. It's not real, and even then… I doubt that the barriers won." At least, he prayed they didn't. The idea that barriers could separate two beings that cared about each other, even in storytelling… it was unthinkable. It was unfair, unjust, to even suggest that there wasn't a way to break past the obstacles that hampered them even in fantasy. Not all stories ended happily, he knew that very well, but when it came to love…shouldn't there be some satisfaction?

Why do you care? You'll be part of those barriers you detest once you return the human, a voice in his mind told him. And Gutt realized that was right. He was going to split up from these two once Roshan was with his tribe, since there'd be nothing tying them…except their bonds. But gigantopithecus and chamitataxus rarely mixed, and when smilodon was thrown into the equation, that was when it became clear. The three were a group of unlikely mammals, destined to never cross once this was all over. Shira would return to her pack, and Gupta and him were stuck with an uncertain future.

This should've been obvious. Gutt should have accepted it, but he didn't. He refused to. He refused to think that he would never see Shira again, or Gupta. He refused to think that they would be forced to say goodbye. Just when he was finally gaining something, he was close to losing it again—and he couldn't bear the thought.

"Well…just keep listening," Shira sighed, knowing how the tale went. It didn't have the conclusion they wanted. It was a bit more realistic, in a saber's way of telling a story—blunt, harsh and bittersweet. "During those five years Juan was away, Isabel's father pestered her to choose a mate. She replied to him by saying that she wished to remain 'unclaimed' until she turned ten moons, saying that tigresses should learn how to manage themselves before settling down. Because her father loved her dearly and wished for her happiness he agreed, and for five years they waited for Juan's return."

When the walls come down,
You'll know I'm here to stay.
There's nothing I would change,
Knowing that together, everything that's in our way …
We're better than alright.

"Did Juan return?" Gutt asked, his sides brushing with Shira's as they walked closely together, passing by a tree. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of falcons staring, chittering among themselves disapprovingly. He knew why; they were an odd trio, but he paid no mind to that. He grew fond of this setup, and he wasn't going to give it up now because of a few judgmental birds—or even mammals, in the case of that clan of badgers from the waterhole.

"He did," replied Shira, nodding. But it wasn't a happy reunion… and she further began to think of the inevitable reunion with Soto, shivers rushing down her spine. A sense of dread built up inside her. I don't want to go back. "But with a catch."

Roshan tilted his head, confused. What did that mean? What was wrong with the reunion of Isabel and Juan?

Gupta gulped. "A catch?"

"Juan was not heard from in those five years and so on the day of the five years' close, Isabel's father had her become the mate of another white saber, Pedro. Right after that, there was a commotion at the valley's edge. The watchbirds informed the pack that Juan had returned with great strength and a good kill, and with the intent of having Isabel. Juan had not counted the day in which he petitioned Isabel's father whereas his pack had."

Roshan whined. This wasn't how it was supposed to end! It wasn't fair. Why did Juan have to be too late?

"So… star-crossed is their fate?" Gupta asked, feeling disappointed. He shouldn't get his hopes up over a fable, but he couldn't help himself. This seemed right up his alley, or so he thought. Poor Juan. He must be so heartbroken.

"Not exactly," was the saber's reply.

Gutt gave a strange look. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, eyebrow raised. Could it be that there was… a chance for them—no, this tale to have a somewhat hopeful end?

Walking between the raindrops,

Riding the aftershock beside you.

Off into the sunset,

Living like there's nothing left to lose.

"That night, Juan snuck into the cave of Isabel and her mate and gently awoke her. He pleaded to her, "Bésame, que me muero"," the tigress continued the bittersweet tale. "And she refused, saying: "No quiera Dios que yo falte a mi marido. Te ruego que encuentres otro, y te olvides de mí. Si nuestro amor no pudo complacer a los de arriba, no debe complacerme a mí.""

She paused, feeling herself getting choked up as she realized… "Devotion to duty."

Gutt titled his head. "Pardon?"

"Devotion to duty – it's a saber thing." She looked at him, her expression filled with sorrow. "When tigers are loyal to a cause, and in this case, a mate… they stick to that, even tossing aside how they feel." She smiled bitterly. "Because nothing's worse than a traitor." And a dead, used saber is better than a wasteful one, she added silently, knowing her fate was sealed either way.

"Pack life sounds vile," Gutt said, frowning. "You shouldn't devote yourself to something you don't believe in. To someone you don't love." He placed his hand on her paw for a moment, causing them both to stop in their tracks, especially as their eyes met. "You should devote yourself to someone you really care for, and a cause you believe in. Your own righteousness."

"Sabers aren't righteous," Shira protested softly. "And pack life is never easy, but it's the only life we've got." She couldn't look away, finding herself trembling beneath his gaze. Her knees were weak, her paws aching for more of his touch— and she tried not to think, not to feel…

"No, it's not. You have a choice," Gutt insisted. He didn't want her to have a similar fate, tied to something—someone—she didn't believe in or care for. "You don't have to go back."

"I have to!" Shira exclaimed, pushing him away with both her forelegs, before quickly stepping around him. The white tigress tried to put distance, looking forward, away from the ape. "You don't understand. I have no choice." I haven't had one since I killed her. I didn't lay a claw on her, but her death was because of me. If I hadn't… if Roshan still had his mother… the harsh reality was there, and she had to use all her strength to keep herself from letting the truth be revealed. From trying to let her desire take over and ask if Gutt would ever let her in, if he would willingly open his arms for her, take her away from her old life.

Would he accept her, sins and claws and all? She hadn't known him for long, but she knew even then, he was much better than Soto was—and in knowing this, she came to realize how she had fooled herself about her leader because of devotion to duty.

She was trapped with no way out, all thanks to this mindless devotion…and she realized it all too late. A cruel irony, as the fable bled into reality in a sense.

"You do! You just won't try and take the chance," Gutt argued, taking steps forward. "Because you're scared." Just like I am. But that's okay, he realized. We can do this together. We can face—

"I'm not scared," Shira lied, taking another step back. Another lie to add to the list of many, many lies she had told. How proud would mama and papa be of you? You're more cunning than a fox, yet more cowardly than a coyote. "You just don't understand. You will never understand."

"I would if you just told me," Gutt said, his voice straining. "Please, Shira, I—"

"Arguing time is over." Her tone was flat now, emotions seemingly gone in an instant. Her blue eyes, once filled with a light minutes ago, were now blank and expressionless. "Back to the story."

Gupta wanted to say something, anything, to fix this but he couldn't say the words. He couldn't reach out to the saber as he did once, on that day he began to learn more about her, because she began to move ahead. Still in hearing range, but there was a distance. She was closing off. At this, his heart sank. Why though? Why was the tigress doing this?

Gutt, on the other hand, was visibly distraught. What had he done to set her off? To have her act like this? It made his heart twist in pain. He didn't want to set things back to where they had been when this journey began, when they were at each other's throats. He didn't want to go back. He wanted to go forward, to learn more of her, help her break from this horrid devotion of hers to a pack that didn't give a rodent's ass about her, from whatever was keeping her down—he wanted to help her because deep down, he cared. He cared about her in a way he hadn't cared for someone in a long time. Her and Gupta were the companions he never knew he needed, and it had taken a human for him to realize this, and to now have this chance being ripped away— "Shira, please… let me in." Trust in me.

Shira wanted to say yes, to do just that, but she couldn't. Not when she had gone too far, dug too deep. "Not now, Gutt." I'm so sorry.

Roshan looked between the ape and tiger, knowing something was wrong. Horribly wrong. They weren't supposed to fight. They weren't supposed to be this upset. Why was this happening, and why was the white saber so cold now?

Chasing after gold mines,

Crossing the fine lines we knew.

Hold on and take a breath,

I'll be here every step,

Walking between the raindrops with you …

"He begged her one last time, saying that he was dying and wished for a final kiss. But still she refused. Upon hearing this Juan could not bear the separation between himself and his love, and with a sigh he died on the paws of his beloved Isabel. When she realized that he died, she shivered. She woke her mate, telling him that his snoring scared her and she wished to hear a story. And he did, and in return she told him her own story. She told him of Juan and how he lay dead beside them."

Shira's eyes were staring ahead, expression blank, almost lifeless. She imagined herself dying, being torn to shreds by Soto's claws after being made into his personal plaything, and she felt so sick. But when she tried imagining herself dead by the cause of another, she imagined herself at the mercy of Gutt's claws, pinned to a wall. His hands around her neck, his voice raised as he shouted at her, cursed her for lying and her betrayal— and a smile almost came onto her face, for it was a death she would gladly die, rather than be violated and torn to shreds by a monster.

To pay for her sins, to pay for the death she caused in the human mother, to pay for the family she tore apart… to pay for the lies she told, the hearts she would inevitably break with her deceiving nature—the nature of a tiger, which she sadly was—it was a death worth dying.

"But that's not how the story ends, is it?" asked Gutt, sounding hopeful in his tone.

Shira shook her head. "No, it's not."

"Phew!" Gupta let out a relieved breath, trying to lighten the mood. "Thank the creator! If this had a bad ending, I would have—"

""Oh, you wretched!" cried Pedro. "Why did you not kiss him?" Isabel replied, "To not deceive my husband." Pedro groaned. "Of course. You are a feline worthy of praise."

And so they agreed on secretly burying him in the spot where the childhood friends first met because the husband feared that he would be blamed for his death. The next day, during the mourning for Juan of the dark-furred saber pack, Isabel showed up with a flower in her mouth. She proceeded to place a kiss on the saber she had refused but in doing so Isabel died, falling prostrate on the body of the one she truly loved."

Once she finished the tale, Shira looked back at her companions, seeing the expressions of each.

Roshan was perplexed, shocked by how it ended. So they technically were together in the end…right? United by death, even if that was sad; a bittersweet conclusion, at most. Both were too late, so in the end, their fates were sealed together—and in the spirit world, they would be reunited, or so he liked to believe. It wasn't as dark of an end to the tale as Gupta's was, or even Gutt's as the deaths weren't gruesome. Just tragic. The baby tilted his head, lost in this thought. What an odd story, and yet Shira seemed so into it… for some reason. He couldn't tell why, though.

Gupta sniffled, wiping tears away. "Such a sad, but beautiful ending!" he wailed, blowing his nose into his right foreleg's fur. If they can't be together in life, they will be together in death—but that doesn't have to be the end to our tale, does it? He prayed not. He wanted to spend a lifetime with her, and Gutt, and he wanted their bond to last long. No going their own ways; their paths had been too entwined for him to accept the possibility of them splitting up.

Gutt looked at Shira somberly. It wasn't a bad way to end a story, but frankly, it was a bit too harsh. Because for a moment, he imagined them in that position: her stuck with duty, and him forced to plea to her. The idea of her refusal, of her dying keeping true to the duty, with her demise being her only release from the cruel role she was forced to take—it was too much. This story's ending only made him think of it more and the more he thought of it, his heart ached. Especially as their argument was so fresh.

What did she mean by her words? And why wouldn't she let him in?

"You're good at telling tales, I'll give you that," Gutt said. He walked close to her side again, lowering his voice, "But you're not so good at lies."

Shira visibly trembled. "Don't," she warned him, blue eyes narrowing.

"Tell me why you are dedicated to this pack of yours," Gutt pleaded, umber eyes welling up with tears of frustration. He wanted to understand, to know why she was closing off from him. "Why do you want to go back to them? They treated you and your family so horribly. Do the remaining members even value you?" Then another question came into mind, one he always had but never said, thinking it sounded too harsh even when he was closed off from her. But now, with his emotions taking control, the words escaped him before he could stop to think properly: "If you're really lost as you say, why doesn't your leader send anybody to look for you? That's just incompetence for him to leave you alone to find the pack by yourself!"

Shira opened her mouth to respond, to shoot him down with a rebuttal, but she stopped. He was right, but she wouldn't say why exactly. If she told him the truth, he would hate her, and she would deserve every bit of his wrath but…she had grown too fond of him to ruin things even further.

There's a smile on my face,

Knowing that together, everything that's in our way,

We're better than alright…

The tigress' head hung low. The gigantopithecus' eyes widened, realizing what he just said. He reached a hand out to cup her face, just in time as tears began to fall. "Shira, I'm sorry, I—"

"You're right," Shira croaked, her hoarse tone making the ape stop talking instantly. "He doesn't care about me. He doesn't care if I live or die, and if I live, the only purpose I'll serve is to … to become his plaything!" She shuddered, memories of Soto's threats, his attempts to claim her, and all the painful bits of the past resurfacing. Any delusions she had of him ever being a friend, ever caring or valuing her had diminished for good as the truth settled in at last — she was just his pawn, and she had fallen into the role. Now, she had no chance of escape, but she wasn't going to not at least try to explain… "But I can't leave the pack. I don't have anywhere else to go. No other pack out there, if there is any, will take a white saber. We're a scorned subspecies, and I'm an alpha female — where would I fit in a regular pack? But if I go alone, I won't be able to hunt by myself. To find proper food or shelter. I'm at a loss no matter what."

"That's not true," Gutt said firmly, grabbing her by the shoulders. He was horrified at what he heard, the worst of his suspicions being confirmed. The fact that the leader of the white feline's pack threatened to rape her … it made his blood boil. He wasn't going to let her go back there, not when her life was on the line — no, she was staying with him. "You have me and Gupta, and Pinky. You don't have to go back. You can —" he swallowed, finding the next words hard to say, but he managed out a, "You can stay with us. Your status doesn't matter here, not in our odd bunch. I'll even help you hunt." What's wrong with you? You must slow down, think a bit more logically- but he couldn't. He wanted her safety, and with that came this offer immediately, because he couldn't think of any other place she would fit in other than with him and Gupta.

"But Pinkster's gotta go home and once he's home, I'm of no use to you," Shira argued, shaking her head and pulling away from him. "I'm a tigress. My kind and yours? We don't mix, and there's a good reason for that. I'll bring you nothing but trouble." You and Pinkster and Gupta; you're all doomed if I stick around. "And I could never force you to help me hunt. That goes against your natural instinct."

Gutt snorted. "You think once the kid's with his tribe, I'm going to go back to the way I was at the start of this? Not a chance. You, me and Gupta? We're a trio of odd mammals brought together for a reason. Doesn't matter that our species don't usually interact in the most friendliest of ways; we're a team, and a team doesn't break apart. If you're trouble, well then fine, I like a little trouble." He flashed a grin at her. "Natural instincts can be overlooked, since we apes stray from our usual diet towards bugs and small meats, if necessary."

"But—"

"No buts!" He grabbed her paw, grasping it in his hand. "Just please, won't you consider it?"

Shira paused, trying to think about it. I want to join you, but … would you accept me, if you knew I caused the death of the kid's mother? If you knew what kind of plan I got caught up in? Why I'm really here? It was difficult to give a proper response. She felt burdened by the harsh reality of it all. "I'll think about it," she forced out.

Walking between the raindrops,

Riding the aftershock, beside you.

Off into the sunset,

Living like there's nothing left to lose.

A small grin crossed Gutt's features. His heart soared with hope. There's a chance. "Thank you, Shira," he said softly, rubbing her paw gently.

A sad smile made its way across her face. "You're welcome," she replied quietly. She pulled her paw from his grasp, quickly missing the warmth of his touch, and moved forward. She sensed him trailing behind her and her heart wrenched. Why did this have to happen?

Gupta walked up to Gutt, wondering what was going on. Why was Shira suddenly getting so upset? What had they been talking about? He didn't understand any of it, but it must have been important — it had to be, if their current states spoke of anything. "Tum donon ke beech kya chal raha hai?"

"I'll explain later," was Gutt's response.

Gupta accepted this response, despite the unsettling feeling that grew within the pit of his stomach. The feeling that there was something that the smilodon was hiding, something that the gigantopithecus had found out, and the chamitataxus wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was. All he knew was that he was thankful Roshan was too young to understand these sort of things—and for a moment, he wished he had his childhood innocence back, if only to escape the fears that his adult life was giving him. But such thinking was foolish, for he knew he had to take on responsibility, and with that came having to learn harsh truths. So he began to brace himself for whatever Gutt would tell him.

After all, it couldn't be too bad, right?

Yet Roshan knew something was wrong. Very, very wrong, and Shira seemed to know what it was, but she wouldn't tell. He understood why. Mama didn't like to talk about bad things, and neither did Papa. But the human child knew there was many things wrong in the world, and he had the misfortune to see some of those wrongs. However, he also knew that every wrong would be righted, and so he prayed the same would happen in this case.

For a being willing to change themselves, slowly but surely, in the most unlikely circumstances? They deserved a second chance, and that definitely fit in this circumstance very well.

Chasing after gold mines,
Crossing the fine lines we knew.
Hold on and take a breath,
I'll be here every step,
Walking between the raindrops with you.
Between the raindrops with you,
Between the raindrops with you,

Between the raindrops with you.

Chapter Text

Omake #1 – “The only one I trust”

(NOTE: this was originally going to appear somewhere as a flashback of sorts in Oscar's POV, but it fit nowhere in the story so as a result, it wasn't put in until now. This is based on a deleted scene which can be found on a DVD of the first film or on YouTube. I've only added the AU touch to this. Brief warning: Soto's full of shit, as per usual in this fic. I promise he eventually gets his comeuppance.)

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.

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“Humans – when is Soto ever gonna get over his obsession with humans?” Oscar asked, tired. He laid his head in his paws, thinking of the old times when the leader of the pack wasn’t so obsessed with this mission of vengeance. Or with Shira. Good times, and he could only wonder: what happened? Oh right, humans happened. Go figure.

Lenny sat on his hind legs, thinking of a warm, sunny place that was up in the south. Everyone was headed there – well, almost everyone except the pack. All because of humans this, and humans that… “We could be hitting that migration that just went south!” he complained.

Zeke chuckled anxiously. “Ohoho, don’t even talk about it!” he scolded the fatter feline. “It makes my teeth itch.” He clenched his jaws, only able to handle so much of the cold weather.

“Listen up!”

They all looked to Shira who stood on a rocky perch. “We attack the humans at dawn,” she stated in a loud voice.

Zeke laughed nervously. “See, that’s, uh, that’s just what we were sayin’!”

“But what about that walking buffet headed south?” Lenny objected.

Shira glared at him. “You’ll be the buffet if you refuse to follow Soto’s commands, furball,” she shot back.

Oscar hopped from his rocky ledge, in front of the female saber. “Then let’s get the orders from Soto,” he said, brow furrowing. He wasn’t going to take orders from her. “Why do we have to hear it from some girl? Huh, Snow White?” Seeing her glare, opening her mouth to object, he knew then he had her right where he wanted her —

Until Soto spoke up. “Because Shira is the only one I trust.” He glared down at the remaining males as he walked from his own perch. “You worthless pack of mangy kittens… those humans are heading back to Glacier Pass. This is our chance to send them a message they won’t forget.” He got close to Zeke and hissed, “Does everyone understand?”

“Yes, yes! Send your message, have your revenge; please, whatever you want—“

Zeke was interrupted by a smack from the alpha male. Soto looked to the rest of the pack and ordered, “Get some rest.” He brushed past Shira, briefly rubbing her sides, causing the female to tremble for a brief second — something Oscar caught — until he barked his next order.

“Shira will give you the orders at dawn.”

Shira looked at Oscar, trying to appear smug. But all he saw in her was a harlot, a suck-up — a goody two-shoes who had Soto wrapped around her paw. Snow White might’ve enchanted the leader with her white fur, her teal eyes and her hunting skills, but Oscar saw the truth. He saw her for who she was.

A weak kitten that relied on Soto to get what she wanted.

That’s what he knew from the moment they became acquainted as cubs.

Chapter Text

"He threatened to what?"

When they made it to a stop near an evergreen tree, Gutt had explained Shira's situation to Gupta, the reason why she and her pack were apart. The reason why the saber was upset, what she and the gigantopithecus had spoken of, and so much more— and it horrified Gupta. The idea that the leader of the pack had threatened to… to do that to Shira was something he couldn't wrap his mind around, yet the glances she gave them whenever she looked back; the look in her eyes said it all. She was tormented by the threat of rape and death hanging over her. So that's why…

"That's – that's horrible!" Gupta cried.

He understood everything now. He understood why she was so cold to him at the start, so closed off and harsh. All her behaviors, her moods, her reactions, her words – it all clicked. She was hurt, deeply hurt, and horrified by the threat she lived under. By an alpha no one knew the name of, but had instantly been deemed "bastard" by Gutt – and for Gupta, he thought of 'monster.' Because that's what the darker-furred saber was, a monster.

How thankful both of the mammals were that Roshan was so young, young enough that he wouldn't understand a thing about this matter. He didn't need to know about this, not for a long time – or ever, in their prayers. Reality was already harsh enough for him to rip away his mother; the poor baby didn't need to face an even uglier part of it.

"Aye, it is," Gutt voiced his agreement, his tone grim. His mouth lined into a frown, umber eyes set upon Shira. The tigress looked back, her blue eyes filled with sadness – a sad look he caught. To think, she had been carrying this burden for so long… what else was she hiding beneath the tough exterior? Behind that snarkiness? "She's gone through a lot, so… I think, if things go right, we should – we can't let her go back to her pack."

"Obviously! Only the depraved depths await her there," Gupta said, his voice a strange low, filled with dread. "She has to—" he stopped, trying to find a way to think of his words carefully. Don't overstep. Don't take it too far… "She must stay with us. Until we can find a better place for her, I mean." The badger's paws shifted as he walked alongside Gutt, a distance away from the saberess.

"That's what I was thinking," said Gutt, his eyes still on the tigress. If he let her go, she would be … that bastard would … no, he wouldn't let that happen to her. Under his watch, she was going to be safe. He was going to protect her in a way he hadn't been able to protect— "She needs a new home. We have to find her one, once this is all over. But until then, we'll have to keep an eye on her, make sure no one lays a claw on her." And if he ever saw that sorry excuse of a saber nearby, he swore to the creator above, he would make sure he'd pay for the pain he inflicted upon the white feline. Every single threat, every single unwanted touch, every single try to hurt her — it would be matched with utmost brutality.

"Right, and if they do, I'll…" Gupta felt his claws scratch up dirt as he walked forward. Between this supposed pack leader and the wolves, he couldn't tell which brought out the brutal instinct in him more – the need to protect someone. With Roshan, it was instant and something he understood well, because no one with a heart would harm a child. With Shira, it was different… he felt, in a way, that he was a bit late. He hadn't been able to act in time, and he knew that his failure to notice the signs only hurt her more. "… I'll make sure they can't hurt her again." Because he knew from tales of survivors of tiger packs, that the large felines didn't act alone. When the leader acted, the pack followed, so that meant that Shira didn't face one threat. She faced several.

"Right now, we have to focus on making sure she feels as secure and guarded as she can," Gutt stressed. "She needs to know that she doesn't have to return to a tiger that'll brutalize her. She has to know she's got a place with us." That we have a place together, he realized. They always had; it just took a while for it to really hit him. These three – Roshan, Gupta, and Shira – where would he be without them? Freezing to death, his last moments of life in utter sorrow as he would be facing the harsh reality of his old family's deaths. Especially Marcella and Luce… he wasn't forgetting them, no, but after a loss comes gain – that was something he heard once. Perhaps it is true now.

When no one else was looking, he was found by three unlikely creatures. They found him, and he wondered, was the world's way of righting the past wrongs? Whatever it was, he wasn't letting this second chance go. He was seizing it.

"Hey." The two mammals turned to see the white saber, looking at them with a raised brow. "You two mind if I cut in?"

"Not at all," they replied in unison.

Shira walked alongside the two, feeling her heart ache when she heard Roshan's babbles toward her. "So I suppose Gutt told you," she said slowly, addressing Gupta. "About my case."

"He did," said the badger, looking at her sadly. "I … I'm sorry. I had no idea you were suffering—"

"It's fine. I didn't tell you," Shira cut him off. She looked down. "I didn't … opening up to you both was hard for me, because I didn't want to face it. That I wasn't in a good pack. That pack life is bad. 'Cause it's the only life I've had, and I know nothing else."

"That doesn't mean you should go back," Gutt said firmly, eyes filled with concern. "I knew nothing outside of troop life, but when I lo—" he stopped himself. When I lost Marcella, Luce, and my parents, went unsaid. "When I couldn't stay, I still left, because it was a better option in the end."

"That's different," Shira argued. She noticed his change of words, but chose to wait to comment on that later. Now wasn't the time. "I lost my family. I was facing a threat. I…" I caused someone's death. "I didn't know there was a way out."

"You think you're the only one that's lost somebody?" Gutt asked her incredulously. "Don't you think that perhaps, there's someone else that understands your pain?" When she was about to speak, he refused to let her. "No, don't. I've faced countless hunters trying to kill me for my pelt or for some meat - humans and tigers alike. I know what living under threat feels like, and while I don't know the full extent of nearly having someone force themselves upon you... that doesn't mean that you had to hide that." He frowned deeply, reaching out for her. "The fact you were willing to go back to that because of some stupid law... there's always a way out. You just need to be willing to take that chance."

Shira flinched away from him. "What if I've lost that chance?" she asked, a slight challenging tone. "What if I told you everything? Would you be willing to take in this tigress then? We are harbingers of scorn and destruction."

"Yet you got us this far," Gupta pointed out. "If you were a harbinger of bad things, why are we here now?"

Shira wanted to object, to say she had led them on, but she couldn't. Her mouth opened, then closed. She was stuck.

"He's right," Gutt said, putting his hand beneath the saber's chin. "You've been a real help and for that, I think there's a chance for you."

Shira sighed. "If you say so." But you're wrong, she added silently.

"I know so," Gutt spoke with confidence. He knew he couldn't let her go. He couldn't lose her, not when he - not when they -

Shira pressed up to his sides as they continued walking, catching him off guard. It wasn't unwanted though - the feeling of her white on his dark grey fur, it was warm and smooth. The gigantopithecus liked it, and … he liked her too.

"I'll try to make up my mind if you tell me what you meant by me not being the only one with a loss," the saberess said to him in a low voice, her tone oozing with a sense of you have some explaining to do. Her eyes read the same.

He licked his lips nervously at this, nodding. "I will, but you must promise to listen to every word I say carefully," he told her in his own low tone. "And we will do it when Gupta and Roshan are asleep."

"Just like when you and I…" Shira trailed off, recalling the moment where he held her in an embrace. When she opened up to him. "Alright. If that's what you want."

"It is."

Roshan understood not much of adult things. They were too melancholic and tragic, but as his life went from idyllic to a tragedy with the loss of his mother, and the frightening experience with those wolves - well, he sort of began to see things.

Everyone was different. Especially animals and humans. It was obvious. But it seemed for the adult mammals, these differences mattered almost too much. Herbivores resented carnivores, omnivores sat in an odd position - a food chain system was there, glaringly so. Something Roshan began to see more and more.

Sabers were a high top, traveling in packs. They were cold and hunted prey no matter the size, and they saw themselves as higher. Their instincts were rooted in honor, devotion to duty no matter how it pained them. If Shira's story and her actions said anything, it was a rough life to live.

In contrasts, apes were warmer. They were herbivores and didn't get their food at the expense of someone else. They didn't take lives without a reason, and they were humble though full of their own sense of dignity. Their instincts rooted in what seemed best. Gutt was a bit cold at first, but he thawed like the ice would in spring. Life wasn't much easier for an ape, but it seemed more ideal even if they were a bit lower on the food chain.

But there was a divide. The two species never could intersect, due to their ways of life. A saber could never truly fit in with a gigantopithecus, never truly accommodate the way a badger could - always sticking out like a pair of fangs. Always needed to hunt for food, for survival - something other mammals looked down upon.

Forever apart, just like Juan and Isabel. If stories were rooted in some truth, then Shira and Gutt… Roshan frowned. That didn't sound right. They hadn't gotten along at first, he had known – he'd seen it with his own eyes. And though he didn't understand adult language all too well, he knew some of the words said, some hurtful. But then they started growing on each other, they drifted to each other – and that's when the words became kinder, more endearing. They liked each other a lot, the baby knew. So the idea for them to drift apart … it was wrong. Them and Gupta – they were like pieces of an ice sculpture, stuck together. Without the pieces in place, what happens? It all falls apart.

That wouldn't do, not at all.

Gutt noticed the child's quietness, and felt a little concerned. Babies weren't supposed to be quiet; they were supposed to be loud. Not crying loud, but still babbling or something. The lack of sound from the child was giving him a bad feeling. "Roshan," he started. "You okay?"

Roshan looked at Gutt, reaching his hand out to touch the monkey's face. "Guuuu…" Then, he pointed at Shira.

Gutt looked at Shira, the tigress' brow raised, and then back at Roshan. He tried to understand what the child was getting at, but the lack of proper words made it difficult. "What is it about me and Shira?"

Roshan held his hands up, then pressed them together. "Guuuuuuuuu!"

Gutt blinked. "What?" He tried to mimic the gesture, trying to piece together what it meant. "You want us to … stick together?"

"You're getting that from his gestures?" asked Shira incredulously. She blinked in surprise when Roshan nodded. "Oh."

Gupta nudged Gutt's shoulder. "We do make a nice team," he pointed out. "Even he can see it."

"Guuuuu…" Roshan sounded out, his little nose crinkling up as he tried to form the word. "Guuuuuuuutttttt…"

The three mammals' eyes widened, realizing what the child was trying to do.

"He's trying to talk," Gutt said, jaw nearly dropping.

"He's trying to say your name," Shira whispered.

Gupta shook his head. "Wait, what?"

Then it happened. He said it, in a loud triumphant cry –

"Gutt!"

The gigantopithecus felt a lump in his throat. The baby had spoken, not only that but he'd said his name. "Roshan…" His heart warmed up, yet he had the bittersweet thought of, That could have been Luce. Which almost clouded over the happiness he felt, until he quickly brought the human child into his arms and gave him an embrace. "Yes, yes that's me - Gutt."

"Gutt," Roshan repeated the name, smiling as he touched the ape's cheeks. He looked at Shira and then… "Shiwa."

Shira froze. Did he just…? No, he couldn't have. She didn't deserve it. He shouldn't –

"Shiwa!"

"He said it," Shira whispered, eyes wide. Her heart twisted in her chest, "Mi nombre. He spoke—"

"Oh the little child of light has spoken!" Gupta cried happily, bounding up near to where Gutt held the baby in his arms. "So precious, so adorable… can you say 'Gupta', little light?"

Roshan looked at Gupta and babbled out the badger's name, in his own way: "Gupgup."

Gupta blinked, then waved it off with a smile. "Close enough."

Gutt's chest filled with warmth. He had never gotten the chance to have this with his own offspring, but with this child… it felt like a second chance, almost. A chance to experience parenthood in a sense, a journey he never really got to take on…because of humans, the species the child belonged to. But Roshan wasn't like the humans he encountered. He was full of light and promise, a kind heart. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered to the baby.

Roshan beamed at the ape, happy to be able to talk. To say something. He couldn't say much, but his words seemed to touch the mammals that saved him – and that was enough. "Gutt!"

Shira felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth, and she allowed one to show. Deep inside, she felt conflicted. She had led to the death of the child's mother, yet he showed her so much warmth… his heart opened up to her instantly, in spite of her initial coldness. How callous she was. And now, she couldn't help but grow fond of the baby. She understood now the light the others saw in him – he really was precious, in his own human way. But she also knew that if he was going to continue to grow, to do more than just say a few words, she'd have to make her choice soon – a choice that would mean she wouldn't ever see him again, or her companions.

It seemed so simple, really, yet it only left her feeling upset.

"Shiwa!" cried Roshan, reaching his hands out for the saber.

Gutt looked over his shoulder with a grin, holding the child out to the saber. "Looks like he wants to be carried by you," he teased her.

Shira backed away. "I don't think I should," she said, uncertain. "I'm a saber… my kind isn't the type that should carry a human, especially not a baby." You have no clue what I've done.

Roshan whined, continuing to hold out his hands to Shira. Gutt frowned, and Gupta went up to Shira and raised a brow. "But gigantopithecus and badgers don't usually carry humans, yet we do it," the badger pointed out.

"Your kind doesn't have a history with them like sabers do," Shira argued, a frown forming on her face. "You don't understand. I can't – if I – sabers aren't safe. I'm not safe."

"Explain how you're unsafe," Gutt said, brow furrowed.

"I don't feel like saying it right now," Shira responded, eyeing Gupta and Roshan. "Not around them."

"Fine," Gutt conceded.

Gupta looked between them, then at Roshan. Both human and badger had concerned looks on their faces, wondering what was going on. "Um…" The chamitataxus looked around, trying to find a way to distract from the tension. Then he saw an evergreen tree of fruits. "Look, a fruit tree!"

"In this weather?" Gutt asked, tilting his head.

"Evergreen trees are everywhere," Shira said, matter-of-factly with a roll of her eyes. "Be lucky you get some food." She looked down, adding bitterly to herself, Unlike me, a carnivore. I can't find anything now that there's snow.

"Come, come! Let's feast, for it's been a long journey," Gupta beckoned for his friends to join him, and they went over to the evergreen tree. Sure enough, there were a lot of fruits of all kinds. Guavas, citrus, avocados—you name it, they were there. Gupta climbed up the tree to a branch of guavas and began shaking it. "Hey, Gutt, catch!" he called out.

Gutt quickly handed Roshan over to Shira, who protested yet grabbed the child's shirt scruff with her teeth anyhow, then held his arms out to catch the incoming fruits. "Guavas! It's been a while since I've had such a bounty," he remarked, catching a couple, holding the delicacy in one hand.

Shira dodged a couple of fruits coming her way, wincing as some hit the ground and smashed into bits. "Oye, watch it!" she cried, voice slightly muffled.

Gupta looked down at the smilodon, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry," he apologized. He scurried down, a citrus in his mouth as he sat down next to Gutt, the ape slicing through fruits and tossing some of the bits into his mouth. Shira set Roshan down and the infant crawled towards the other slices of guava on the ground, picking up some and eating them.

Shira watched as Gupta bit into his citrus, while Gutt dined on guava slices and Roshan was content on chewing the remaining bits left for him. She tried to smile but couldn't, not when she realized that she was the only one not dining – the only one unable to, for her diet didn't consist of fruit. It consisted of meat, flesh of another living being. She couldn't speak up though, couldn't say anything as she feared she would overstep. She would come off as ungrateful, almost desperate if she…

Gutt looked up from his meal, noticing Shira sat in silence, staring with a slightly upset look. At first, he wondered why, until it hit him. She's unable to eat fruit… tigers need meat, he realized, feeling a pang of sympathy for the tigress. She couldn't just sit around and go hungry. No, she was going to have some food too.

"Gupta, watch Roshan for me," Gutt ordered. The chamitataxus gave an absent-minded nod as he gulped down the last of his fruit, giving a small thumbs up. Roshan merely tilted his head and uttered a small, 'Gutt?' as the gigantopithecus went over to a confused tigress.

"What are you doing?" asked Shira, raising a brow.

"Helping you find some grub," replied Gutt simply. He grabbed her forelegs and pulled her up to all four paws. "Come on, gattina."

She blushed for a moment at his nickname for her in his old ape tongue, before nodding and following him as he led her towards an open clearing. You shouldn't help me, she thought. I'm no good for you.

These were silent thoughts though, and eventually they were put to an end once Shira spotted a deer. She looked to Gutt, and it was then she saw a strangely determined look on the ape's face. "See that deer?" he asked her. She nodded. "In a couple of minutes, you'll have the finest snack in a while, if you listen carefully to my plan."

Shira's eyes narrowed. "Plan to catch that deer? Suenas ridículo. You're not a hunter, you're an ape," she protested. "The closest you've had to meat is insects and the ticks that have infested your fur no doubt. You don't know how to catch prey." She didn't mean to sound so rude, but she was only trying to be reasonable. Any mammal with reason knew that gigantopithecus weren't hunters, and the idea of one trying to aid a tiger—it was absurd!

Gutt feigned a hurt look. "You wound me, gattina. Have you forgotten that I fought that wolf?" he asked her. "I know how to strike another mammal down, regardless if I eat meat or not."

Shira frowned deeply. "It's not in your nature…" You shouldn't kill for me.

"No, it's not. But in your nature, you can't hunt alone," Gutt said matter-of-factly. "I want to help you."

"But—"

"No buts. You're stuck with me, gattina. Get used to it."

“If you say so,” said Shira warily. She sighed as she got into position. “But allow me to have the first move. Ambushes are a saber’s expertise.”

“Then allow me to corner it, prevent it from escaping you,” Gutt said, putting his hand on his chest. “I know how to do this sort of thing.”

“Live up to that name then,” was the tigress’ last reply. Then she focused on the prey at hand. You can do this… you’re a master at this…

After seconds passed, the deer was ready to make its way down its own path to the south, until Shira let out a loud roar and leapt for it. It let out a cry and ran away, and Shira used all her speed to try and catch up to it - but sabers were better at hunting in packs, so she lagged behind slightly. And she would have lost the deer, had it not been for Gutt, suddenly swinging down from a tree nearby and tackling the deer. 

Shira’s eyes widened as she skid to a stop, right in front of the ape, pressing his weight down upon the deer’s stomach. It shrieked and thrashed, only to stop when he held his claws up to its neck. 

“Keep yer mouth shut,” Gutt hissed at it. “And it’ll be quick and painless.” He looked at Shira, nodding for her to make the final strike.

The tigress’ eyes met the ape’s for a moment. A question was in those blue orbs. Are you sure? In the ape’s umber eyes, a response of, Do it. And so she took a step forward, rose her head up high, opened her jaws, and then bit down hard on the deer’s neck. The death was quick, as mentioned, but she knew it wasn’t painless.

Chapter Text

Over the next course of days, the trio of mammals and their human ward had grown closer and closer - and in some aspects, maybe a bit too close. Otherwise, they couldn't be happier, for the most part, especially when it seemed like they were nearing their destination.

Yet deep down, Gutt felt like they were getting a little side-tracked, like the road wasn't always right. He didn't want to doubt Shira, not when these feelings for her were growing by each moment, but he knew when she lied - and he could tell when she was trying to stall for something, but what? What else was there? Was it … no, it couldn't be... could it?

She couldn't have been the reason Roshan was separated from his tribe. She said she'd been separated from her pack. The chance of her being involved in some ambush, leading to the boy and his mother falling down a waterfall, to the discovery and—no, it was a coincidence. A mere coincidence. Nothing more.

Yet that horrible suspicion arose. Gutt hated himself for thinking, but what if? Because he loved her, he did, and he would like to believe she was absolved from any crime – but that lingering thought remained. The idea that she was responsible for what lead to Roshan being in their care. That she was secretly a mastermind of destruction. That she was a murderer.

That she lied to him.

"Shiwa!" Roshan's squeal interrupted Gutt's thoughts. The ape glanced behind, noticing the tigress was playing that game of hers with Roshan again. Where's the Cubby? was what she called it.

"Oh, where's the little cub gone off to?" Shira glanced around, faking confusion as Roshan covered his eyes. The boy giggled, finding it amusing, before pulling back his hands. The saber's face brightened. "There he is!"

"And you were annoyed by him beforehand," Gupta teased, bumping her shoulder.

Shira glanced down at Gupta, rolling her eyes. A smile tugged at her lips, not all happy. "Mammals change," was all she said. And she would rather leave it at that, than dwindle on the guilt that plagued her constantly. Of the night spent tossing, turning, dreaming of her inevitable fate - of the price she was to pay for her actions. At least she had these moments of happiness before she would become her aggressor's bitch, and then later a meal for the sniveling bastards that remained of her pack. At least it's better I die than the baby.

"That's true. Gutt used to be such a grump when we first met," Gupta reminisced the early days, as if they'd been a long time ago. Really, it had been a week. "Now he's not such a grump anymore. And you're a nice kitten." He grinned widely. "And we're all friends now, aren't we?"

"We are," Gutt said, shrugging, a smile forming on his own face. "But, ah, we don't have to be just friends." His eyes travelled to Shira. It was a bit soon, he knew, but... "We could be a...herd."

Shira looked at Gutt in confusion. Was he really suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? No, that was bullshit. Sabers didn't join herds. She wasn't fit for that, and she wasn't going to live long to see such a thing occur - if it ever could happen to begin with. She wasn't going to string him along this far. "Don't," she said lowly, eyes starting to narrow. "Don't go suggesting things that aren't plausible."

"It is plausible, if you weren't such a lily-livered coward and afraid to let others in," Gutt snapped at her, his own eyes narrowing, his voice raising. "You have nowhere else to go. There's no way you can return to that pack, when your leader's gonna rape and kill you! It's suicide! You have to stay with us." With me.

"I'll only slow you guys down," Shira argued, stepping closer. She felt tears in the corners of her eyes. Why did he have to be so difficult? "You don't know what I've done before we met. The lives I've taken. Those that I hurt." Her eyes shifted to Roshan briefly, as the child tilted his head in concern. "You'd be better off without me."

"That's a lie. Don't lie to me." Gutt took a breath in, his expression hardening. Why can't you let me protect you? I don't want to lose you like I did with Marcella. "Even if it's true that you did some misdeeds, it doesn't matter now. That's in the past." He reached out to her. "We can move forward together."

She flinched back. "I'm not lying to you," she insisted, her voice wavering. Not this time. "Why can't you just accept that we're not meant to coexist? If two sabers couldn't live a life together, why should you and I?"

Those words stung both of them deeply, evident by the stunned expressions that formed on both of their faces soon as those words left the feline's mouth. Gutt looked like he had been struck by her claws. Shira looked as though she wanted to take it back, but couldn't. That was when Gupta stepped in, eyes narrowed, and said, "That's enough! I don't know what's going on between you two, but I don't like it." He frowned deeply. "Gutt's idea to be a herd is a little bizarre, given that most herds consist of single species, but in this case, we have no one else. My family abandoned me. Gutt doesn't have one." He didn't notice the ape flinch at those words, or the saber wince. "And Shira, your parents are dead and your pack will kill you if you go back." The badger looked down, upset. "There's nothing left for us if we split up. Why do you refuse to accept this? Why do you want to—?"

"Roshan's mother. I—I know what happened to her."

The words left the saber in a hurry, her voice pained. Her eyes were on the ground, never once glancing at the shocked ape and badger. "I know how she ended up falling through that waterfall. I know how this all happened, and it's not what you think. It's not by sheer coincidence."

Gutt let out a ragged breath, one fist balling up. She couldn't be affirming that suspicion. She couldn't be... "Don't utter a single word. No more lies," he snarled at her.

"Please, Gutt, I'm... I'm so sorry, I didn't think this would happen," she hurried through her speech, tears slowly spilling. This was it, the moment of truth, the moment where her lies were revealed — the moment where she would lose everything again. "I didn't think I'd get attached to you, Gupta or Roshan. I thought I'd be distant, but that baby—he brought us together and that's why I have to—"

Gutt slammed his fists on the ground, making Shira cower back as he towered over her. "I won't hear it!" he shouted. "I've lost as more than you did. My mate, my child, my parents — an entire family! I don't want to hear something that'll make me lose you too!"

"… so it's true then."

The two looked at Gupta, a look of realization on his face. As if he suspected something. "It was an assumption, but... I noticed my comments, looking back on them now, affected you in some way," the badger said slowly. "Now I know." His brow furrowed. "But why hide it?"

Gutt glanced between the badger and Roshan, now burying his face in his fur out of fright. He looked away, seeing a cave not too far off. "Come. I'll tell you when we get to the cave."

Shira tossed a sad look at Gupta as Gutt brushed past her roughly, feeling a knot inside her stomach. "He's right," she whispered sadly, as the chamitataxus walked alongside her. "He's faced worse than I have, in terms of loss."

Gupta bit his lip. He should have taken her word for it, but morbid curiosity was eating at him inside.

.

.

.

He would regret asking, later on, when they did get to the cave.

Years ago, there was once a family of apes. A father, a mother, the grandparents, and a baby. The baby hadn't been born yet, but she was loved dearly regardless. She was named 'Luce', meaning light. The mother was named Marcella, a lovely lady full of life. The grandparents were Niero and Nora, doting parents that loved to spin a tale or two.

And then there was Pasquale, the father, cautious and shrewd. He wanted to keep his family safe from hunters, humans with their spears. Often, Marcella would say he was being too overprotective, telling her mate to relax. Pasquale would try to relax, but often found himself paranoid. Worried that one day, tragedy would strike.

Unfortunately, his fears were proven as one day, on a trip in a forest, where a dam of boulders lay among, ready to fall at any given moment... humans came. A tribe of them. Spears and all.

They threatened the apes with their weapons, while Pasquale screeched and swatted at them, doing his best to protect his family. He struck down a few with his claws, but not enough. He was injured, forced into a corner. Forced to watch with horror as his mate and parents were cornered on another side, just as some hunters had abandoned their spears to work together to push down the boulders, right on top of …

"… they died quickly, my parents. They were old, so they didn't put much of a fight up."

Gupta and Shira looked over the cave paintings, pained looks of sympathy as they could vision the story unfolding. But their pain didn't match Gutt's, one of utter grief.

"Marcella…I was too late. All I could do was hold her as she died, taking Luce with her." Gutt put his hand over his mouth, trying to stifle an ugly noise that threatened to leave his throat. "It was just a month away from when Luce would …"

He trailed off and thought of what could've been, had the incident not happened. Had his family lived. He could be in the south now, watching Luce run around. His parents looking on in joy. Marcella by his side, leaning on him.

But it could never be. All because of—

Roshan's hand touched Gutt's face. He felt bad, knowing that he belonged to a human tribe that hunted. This was something that should've have happened and if he could do something, he would. But all he could do now was try to lift up the ape's spirits. "Don't be sad," he said quietly. "They're not gone. Mama said there's other side, where spirit go."

Gutt held the human child in his arms. "Do you think so?" he asked quietly, feeling a pang in his heart. Both of surprise and a prayer, all due to the child's optimism.

"I know," Roshan said with a smile. "They here." He pointed to the ape's heart.

Gutt gave a sad smile. "When did you get so smart?" he asked, before leaning his face forward to allow the child to hug it.

Gupta stepped forward, leaning on one side of Gutt, attempting to join in on the hug. "I'm sorry for your loss," he spoke sympathetically. "I don't know what I'd do if I suffered something similar…" He looked down for a moment. "I – I'm sorry if I ever hit any sore spots."

"It's fine."

"But I—"

"Water under the bridge."

"I had this whole speech prepared," Gupta insisted. "This whole thing on how the past shouldn't define you, and how it should be the way you move forward and…" he trailed off. "Now I lost it."

Gutt chuckled. "For what it's worth, you make a fair point." He paused. "What happened…it still hurts, but I've slowly found a new gain. Or gains."

Shira didn't know what to do. She stood in silence, looking at Gutt with sorrow in her expression. He beckoned for her to come forward. She took a few steps, yelping as she was pulled into an embrace. She tensed up, but eventually relaxed into it.

"…so do I call you Pasquale or Gutt?"

Gutt let out a 'tch.' "Pasquale's been dead for years. I'm Gutt, the old shrewd ape you've been travelling with for a week - and your friend, if you'll have me." The last words were spoken like pleading.

"I will have you," Shira said slowly. "If…if you will have me…"

"Why wouldn't I want you?" asked Gutt, raising a brow.

Shira wanted to tell the truth. She did, but her lies got her this far - and in a blink, she swore she saw that human female. In that moment, she hesitated, and cowered away. "I don't know how a herd works."

"We can learn together then," he told her.

She wished she could believe him.

"I think it's time to accept the truth, chief."

Runar turned to one of his fellow tribesmen. They had been journeying through the snow and ice, all while searching for Nadia and Roshan. No such luck occurred, and they hadn't been seen for days. Slowly it was dawning on him that his wife was long gone… but he still held onto a prayer that Roshan was alive.

"No, he's not – he can't be–"

The tribesman placed a hand on his chief's shoulder. "I know it's hard… but we must go on. It's what they would have wanted."

Runar shook his head. "We have to keep searching, for just a little longer. Until we reach the Pass."

The rest of the tribe looked at one another, sympathy in their expressions. Then they nodded, deciding to go along. But in their minds, the thought lingered:

Could Roshan really be alive?

"Would you look at that? Gattina brought us here after all."

Gutt smirked at Shira. "And you doubted yourself," he teased her. "We're at Half-Peak, boys! Next stop: Glacier Pass!"

"I never doubted you!" Gupta praised Shira. He looked at Roshan. "You hear that? You're going home soon!"

"Home!" Roshan beamed.

But when they started walking down the path, the ground felt warmer. It was shrugged off at first, until the heat increased...

"My feet ache, and it's not from walking," Gupta started. An uneasy gut instinct formed. This wasn't a good place.

"Are you going to tell us when you go into heat next?" Shira retorted. "Suck it up, badger boy."

"When did you get snappy again?" Gutt asked, looking at her with a raised brow. "That's my job."

"No, I'm serious - my feet are burning!"

A loud rumble sounded. Gutt looked at Shira. "Tell me that was your stomach," he said blandly, however effective in raising the tigress' concerns.

"Shh, listen…"

The rumbling grew louder. Gupta gulped. "It's underground," he whispered. "If it's underground, that means…"

A burst of fire blew through behind them. The three mammals yelled out in fear and rushed forward, wasting no time. More lava erupted in various holes formed from would-be geysers. A bridge soon formed - one of the ice that remained from the lava attacks.

Shira ran behind, shouting as the other two ran forward. "Faster, faster! You can't waste any time - just move!" She had escaped spears, forest fires and many other dangers in her life - but lava, it was something she never thought she would encounter. Soto's pack was careful to stay away from these fields - these walking hazards - and yet her mission led her here. Perhaps this meant all along, he wanted her either dead … or his little object to rape repeatedly.

That was her ultimatum all along, wasn't it? She came to the conclusion now, the ugly truth - she never had a chance. Even before she was sent to get that baby, even before the humans attacked - her fate was decided long ago.

Damn you, bastard, she wanted to curse Soto. Damn you to the fiery abyss below. She wanted to scream, to track him down and try to slit his throat! To fight for once! But she couldn't. She had to make sure that Gutt, Roshan and Gupta …

A part of the bridge collapsed, dividing Shira from the three. Her teal eyes widened as she watched the piece of ice fall into the lava, melting instantly. She looked at the parts of bridge still left ahead, at the mammals running ahead of her, then at the shaky ground she stood on.

"Wow, Papa, you jump so far!"

The striped cub watched as her father leapt across the river, standing on the other side. Ignacio smiled at his little daughter and said, "Thank you, mija. Now it's your turn."

She paused. "My turn to jump? But it's … it's so far away …" Her paws trembled. If she slipped, she would fall and surely drown. After all, the albino tigers were not swimmers - not like the darker-furred ones.

"Come on, mija. You can do it. I believe in you," he coaxed her. "Just close your eyes and jump."

"O-okay…" She nodded and shut her eyes, squeezed them tight, taking a step back. And then, with a burst of speed, she rushed forward and -

"Shira! She's trapped!"

Gupta. She opened her eyes and saw Gupta standing in front of Gutt, pleading with him. Gutt seemed irritated and frightened, up until he glanced back at her. But before he could yell out to her, Shira leapt forward, landing behind him.

"Wow," Gupta said in awe. "You leap so far."

"Now you can too!" Gutt said, using his free arm to toss Gupta towards the ice ledge in front of them.

"Move faster!" Shira yelled at Gutt. "Or do you want to burn?"

"What a question," scoffed Gutt. "There's a river of lava, it's a little hard to-"

The ice started melting beneath them. He could see the abyss below. Once glance at a frightened Roshan, it was all he needed to jump forward.

A geyser's blow blocked Shira from jumping forward. The jump was too far. Farther than the river. Was the fear she felt the same as that human female's? Was this payback for all the harm she caused? Yet she didn't want to die. A part of her was stubborn, filled with a new need to make things right by taking down Soto and the rest of her pack, even if it meant dying in the process.

That son of a bitch couldn't win. She wouldn't let him.

She leapt forward, a scream escaping her as she saw her paws wouldn't be able to reach the ledge. She was going to fall, she was going to die and -

Something grabbed her forelegs. Just as the ledge was about to collapse, she looked up and saw Gutt, looking at her as if to say I've got you. On his back was Roshan, relieved. The ape pulled her up and with his might, tossed her over to where Gupta was.

Then he ran fast as he could, just in time as the rest of the ledge collapsed. But he was out of breath and collapsed onto his stomach. Roshan pulled his hair tuft. "Gutt?" he asked in a little worried voice.

"I'm … fine …" the gigantopithecus managed to get out.

"Thank the creator, you're alright!" Gupta hugged his neck, before then tending to Roshan. "And you, are you alright Roshan?"

"Okaaayyy," the baby said slowly, smiling a toothless smile.

"Good!" Gupta beamed.

Shira pushed herself up on all fours and walked over to Gutt. "You saved my life," she said softly. "Why? If you weren't quick enough, you would have died."

Gutt looked at her, a small smile on his face, not all happy. "In a herd, you risk your life for those you love."

Shira's eyes widened. She looked at the ground, then back at him, processing this. "Gutt… I – you – thank you," she managed to mutter.

"Oh Gutt, you really do care!" Gupta cried happily.

Gutt wanted to say more. To show what kind of love he meant, but couldn't. For now, this was all he could say.