Chapter 153: We leaving you with your bad face (Guess what cub said that)

Chapter 153: Chapter 153: We leaving you with your bad face (Guess what cub said that)

Ironwood was quiet.

Too quiet.

Swanly did not trust it.

She lay beneath the shade of a broad-leafed tree near the inner planting grounds, one hand resting over her stomach while the other lazily picked nuts from a small woven bowl.

The gates had remained closed since the Veskari left.

Nobody had gone beyond the walls.

Not hunters.

Not gatherers.

Not even scouts.

They had enough stored meat for now, crops were growing, fruit trees filled parts of the basin, and Soren had decided nobody would risk wandering into the forest until they understood whether the Veskari were truly gone.

Swanly agreed.

Because she did not think they were gone.

She could not explain it.

Every now and then, the hairs along her arms rose.

Her fox ears twitched toward the western ridge.

Nothing.

No wings.

No hooves.

No glowing eyes between the trees.

Still...

They are out there.

Watching.

Waiting.

Probably looking for another way into Ironwood.

Swanly exhaled and closed her eyes.

"Not today."

She was tired.

So fucking tired.

Her pregnancy had apparently decided that creating tiny snake babies required every piece of energy she possessed.

She ate.

She became hungry again.

She slept.

She woke tired.

She walked ten steps.

Her body demanded another lifetime of rest.

Today, she wanted nothing.

No ancient secrets.

No winged princes.

No Rot.

No strange doors beneath the ground.

No male arguments.

Nothing.

Just peace.

For one fucking afternoon.

A scream exploded across the settlement.

"GIVE BACK!"

Swanly’s eyes opened.

Another scream.

"IT MINE!"

"YOU ATE YOURS!"

"NO!"

A tiny body crashed into a basket.

Swanly slowly closed her eyes again.

Of course.

Her sons.

She remained lying down.

Maybe if she ignored them, another adult would handle it.

"MAMA!"

No.

"MAMAAAA!"

Absolutely not.

"MAMA! KAIRO HIT MIKO!"

Swanly sat up.

"What?!"

Three cubs came tumbling around the shelter.

Miko was first.

Kairo was directly behind him.

Nilo followed both with the deeply exhausted expression of a male who regretted sharing blood with either one.

Miko had a tiny scratch on his cheek.

Kairo’s ear was wet.

Swanly stared at it.

"Why is your ear wet?"

Kairo pointed furiously.

"HE BITE!"

Miko gasped.

"Kairo push!"

"You steal meat!"

"Little meat!"

"MY meat!"

"You big! Share!"

"I SHARE YESTERDAY!"

Miko threw his arms up.

"Yesterday gone!"

Swanly stared.

Nilo nodded solemnly.

"That what he say before bite."

Miko rounded on him.

"Traitor!"

"You bite."

"You saw nothing."

"I saw."

"Close eyes next time!"

Swanly’s mouth dropped open.

"What are you teaching your brother?!"

Kael appeared from the other side of the shelters.

One look at his sons and his face hardened.

"What happened?"

All three pointed at each other.

"HIM!"

Kael’s eyes closed.

Swanly understood.

Completely.

"What happened?" Kael repeated.

Kairo immediately began.

"Miko finish meat. Then take mine."

"Little!"

"I say give."

"No."

"I take back."

"He push!"

"You slap!"

"You pull ear!"

"You bite!"

Kael’s head snapped toward Miko.

"You bit your brother?"

Miko became very small.

"...Little bite."

"Miko."

"Teeth slip."

Nilo whispered:

"They not slip."

Miko glared at him.

Swanly stood.

That was enough.

"All three of you. Stand there."

The cubs froze.

Her voice was different now.

Not playful.

Not tired.

Mama voice.

They immediately lined up.

Kairo first.

Nilo second.

Miko last.

Miko tried to hide behind Nilo.

"Where are you going?"

He returned.

Swanly crossed her arms.

"You do not hit your brothers."

Three ears lowered.

"You do not shove your brothers."

Lower.

"You do not bite your brothers."

Miko stared at his toes.

"And you absolutely do not steal food from each other when there is enough food for everyone."

Miko’s lip trembled.

"But..."

"No."

His mouth shut.

Kael stepped beside her.

His expression was stern.

"You protect your brothers."

Kairo swallowed.

"You do not hurt them because you’re angry."

Kael looked at Miko.

"And you do not use your teeth on family."

Miko’s eyes started watering.

Kael looked at Kairo.

"You are older. That does not mean you can shove him whenever he annoys you."

Kairo’s eyes filled too.

Then Nilo.

"And if they fight?"

Nilo looked nervous.

"Call adult."

"Yes."

"Not stand there saying who win?"

Swanly slowly turned toward him.

"You were doing WHAT?"

Nilo’s ears flattened.

"Nothing."

Three miserable little cubs stood before them.

Miko’s lower lip shook.

Kairo blinked rapidly.

Nilo looked dangerously close to joining them.

Swanly’s anger softened.

Damn it.

She crouched.

"Come here."

They rushed her.

All three at once.

"Oof!"

Swanly nearly fell backward.

Kael caught her shoulders.

"Careful."

"I know."

She wrapped her arms around the cubs.

"Listen to me."

Three tiny faces looked up.

"Brothers fight sometimes."

Kairo sniffled.

"Papa fight Snake Papa."

Kael went silent.

Swanly stared at him.

Kael looked away.

"That is different."

"No, it isn’t," Swanly said.

Kael’s ears flattened.

Miko brightened.

"So bite okay?"

"NO."

His brightness disappeared.

Swanly sighed.

"You’re allowed to be angry."

She touched Kairo’s nose.

"You say, ’Miko, that is mine. Give it back.’"

Kairo nodded.

She touched Miko’s.

"And you listen."

Miko considered that.

"For how long?"

Swanly stared.

"Miko."

"Listen forever."

"Good."

She looked at all three.

"You don’t hurt each other because you’re angry. You talk. If you cannot fix it, you find me, Papa, or another adult."

Nilo nodded.

Kairo looked toward Miko.

"Sorry push."

Miko sniffed.

"Sorry bite."

Kairo touched his wet ear.

"Big bite."

"Sorry big bite."

Kairo hugged him.

Miko immediately hugged back.

Nilo looked at them.

Then joined.

Swanly smiled.

There.

Sweet.

Beautiful.

Peaceful.

Ten minutes later:

"MAMA!"

Swanly’s eye twitched.

She was sitting beneath the tree again.

Eating nuts.

"What?"

Kairo came running.

"Miko put dirt on tail."

Miko shouted from behind him:

"ACCIDENT!"

Swanly rubbed her forehead.

"Wash it."

Five minutes later:

"MAMA!"

Nilo appeared.

"Kairo say my stone ugly."

Swanly stared.

"What stone?"

Nilo held up a stone.

It was, objectively, an ugly stone.

Swanly swallowed.

"It is... very unique."

Nilo looked satisfied.

Kairo shouted:

"Still ugly!"

"KAIRO!"

He ran.

Three minutes.

"MAMA!"

Swanly dropped her head against the tree.

"God help me."

Miko climbed directly onto her lap.

"Nilo not let Miko touch bug."

"Because bug bite."

"But Miko want see."

"Then look with your eyes!"

"I look better with finger."

Swanly stared toward the sky.

She was pregnant.

Again.

More babies were coming.

At this rate, she was practically giving birth tomorrow.

How the fuck was she going to survive more children?

Maybe the apocalypse truly was easier.

...

Soren found her with one hand over her eyes.

Three cubs argued three steps away.

"It my stick."

"No."

"It mine first."

"You drop."

"I picking!"

Soren’s silver eyes narrowed.

"Swanly."

She looked at him weakly.

"Take them."

All three cubs stopped.

Miko whispered:

"No."

Soren pointed.

"Go."

They reluctantly shuffled away.

Swanly almost kissed him.

Almost.

The cubs reached the edge of the shelters.

Immediately:

"You step foot!"

"You push!"

"You walk slow!"

Soren’s jaw tightened.

He followed them.

The moment Swanly was far enough away not to hear clearly, Soren stopped.

The three cubs looked up.

His face was completely cold.

"If any of you make another unnecessary sound..."

Three pairs of ears rose.

Soren leaned slightly closer.

"I will eat all three of you."

Silence.

Kairo’s eyes widened.

Nilo froze.

Miko’s mouth fell open.

Soren’s face did not change.

Not even slightly.

Kairo grabbed Nilo.

Nilo grabbed Miko.

For one glorious second, Soren believed he had won.

Then Miko’s expression slowly changed.

His brows lowered.

He remembered something important.

This was Snake Papa.

Snake Papa could not eat them.

Mama would kill him.

Miko grabbed both brothers by the arms.

"Come."

Kairo whispered:

"But he eat."

"He no eat."

"How know?"

"Mama bite him."

Soren’s eye twitched.

Miko turned his back dramatically.

He forced Kairo and Nilo to turn too.

Then he looked over one tiny shoulder.

"We leaving you with your bad face."

Soren stared.

Miko lifted his chin.

"You no get cub talk."

Then he marched away.

Kairo followed.

Nilo hesitated.

Looked at Soren.

Then apparently decided brother loyalty mattered.

He followed too.

Soren watched three tiny backs disappear.

His eyes closed.

Under his breath:

"Please let my young come out with less stubbornness than these things."

From around the corner came Miko’s voice.

"WE HEAR!"

Soren’s eyes opened.

"...Impossible."