This Exciting Life - Chapter 20 Lets Go

We talked and played until 9 pm, then took a shower, except Yang, and went to bed. I had created a bedroom just for them, but since it was the first night in their new home and they just lost their mother, they slept in my bedroom.

Yin was sleeping on a pillow near my head and Yang was sleeping at the end of my feet.

It took some for them to fall asleep after having taken a long nap at noon, plus they kept picking up new inputs, but when I put on 2CELLOS’ version of Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s on low volume, their eyes started to close and shortly after I heard deep breathing.

I lied down, but ironically I had trouble sleeping too. So much had happened today. I had become a mother, my head was filled with informations, I thought about the unknown we were about to face from tomorrow and I thought about the conversation I had with the cubs.

From what I understood, they had escaped from something and their mother had felt my presence or perhaps the protective barrier. She had run to my place in the night, drawn by what Yang called aura, and had probably hoped to be saved, but no one came. I didn’t come.

Their mother told them to hide and then a fight broke out with the attacker. Thinking the mother was dead, the attacker left and with her last strength she dragged her broken body and cubs as close as possible to my door, before succumbing to her death.

I felt bad. If I had been braver and run out last night, maybe, just maybe I could’ve done something. Chicken and me were not feeling fine right now. Not at all.

After their mother died, the cubs had grieved and lied down by her side, hence all the blood on their fur when I found them. When I had run out, they had hidden themselves under her belly.

I stroked Yin’s fur. She was the most affected by their mother’s untimely and violent death and would likely experience nightmares for some time.

I told myself that tomorrow morning, before we moved out, I’d give their mother a proper burial.

Before I fell asleep, I whispered.

“I could not save your mother, but believe me when I say, I will love you and never leave you. You’re safe with me.”

It was said to both of them. And I meant it.

***

When morning came and after eating breakfast, I told the cubs that I’d like to give their mother a proper goodbye. At first they didn’t understand what a burial was and why we had to put her into a hole and cover her in dirt. For them it sounded really weird.

I explained it was something humans did as a way of paying respect to the departed, but when they still didn’t get it, I outright said that if we didn’t, a monster would eat her and that would make their mother sad, if she knew.

It was a crude method, but it worked and they too didn’t want her to be eaten.

Surprisingly, it had been over 24 hours since she died, but she was still there and uneaten. I did notice a few red dots on the map getting near her once in a while, attracted to the blood, but nothing happened.

‘I’ll remember to ask someone.’ I thought to myself.

After a lot of hard work and taking breaks, she was after all really big, we finally managed to bury her. During our work I got to understand one of the cubs’ skills, Triple Slash and Double Claw.

Their paws and claws became strong and fast and the digging went easier and faster than if I used a shovel.

I definitely didn’t want to be in the receiving end of such an attack and couldn’t help but think, that if their mother, who was a whole lot stronger than them, had the same skills but didn’t survive her attacker, then how strong was the enemy?

I paled at the thought.

“This is a crazy world.” I muttered to myself.

I stood before her grave and talked to her, as if she was alive. It was just some smalltalk, some of it to make myself feel better. I still had a bad taste in my mouth for letting her die.

I apologised for not being brave enough to save her and promised her that I would love and protect her cubs like they were my own children.

Afterwards we took a quick shower to wash out the dirt and blood. Yang was forced to take one too to his great despair and to his sister’s delight.

“You want to see something amazing?” I asked as we stood outside our home.

The cubs nodded their heads and got utterly befuddled when the house disappeared and turned into a small ring that could fit my finger. Yang jumped in surprise, totally catching air and Yin ran behind me to hide.

I laughed. Their reactions were super funny.

“Let’s go!” I said and did a shuppatsu.