scream for help. The cub kept coming towards him, finally stopping a foot away and sat down staring up at him, Braden didn’t know what to do. He looked down and saw the liquid gold eyes of the cub staring back. It cocked its head to one side, then bolted back towards the adult. Again Braden tensed, waiting for the attack that didn’t come. He slowly walked towards the lion and it’s cub, passing by the last tree, he could finally see the full size of the adult lion. It’s paws were the size of a man’s head and he could see the razor sharp claws sticking out as the cub slowly brushed its head against it. When there was no reaction, it finally clicked to Braden that the adult was dead and the cub was on its own. Braden lowered his sword and walked closer to the lion. It was truly astonishing in size, he could see the defined muscle of the beast beneath its skin. He reached forward to touch it, but was met by the hissing and growling of the cub. Braden pulled back his hand, and took a step back before kneeling down in front of the cub.
“I won’t hurt you, or him.”
He knelt down looking over the beast, he couldn’t see any obvious signs of anything that could have killed the beast. No large gashes or any cuts that could have become infected. He thought about the wound maybe being on the lion’s other side. He stood again and walked to his right to get a closer look at the back of the lion. Leaning in close, he saw what looked like four small stab wounds in it’s side. He thought back to the Naga and it’s four fangs, had the lion come into contact with the snake before it had come after them? It appeared to be the only thing that could have caused the death of the magnificent beast which lay before him. A commotion at his feet caught his attention as he watched the cub struggling to pull a piece of the snake flesh from the bone. Braden and Alexander had already found the Naga's meat to be extremely tough, they had cut it into small pieces to chew before they could swallow it.
He moved back to the cub and knelt beside the chunk of meat, reaching forward, he was met with more hissing and growling. Using his small blade he cut a piece from the main chunk before pushing it in front of the cub. Braden could see it was cautious, not knowing whether to take the meat from him or not. Finally hunger won and the cub jumped onto the meat and chewed it quickly before sitting down. Braden cut another few chunks laying down it in front of the cub, it quickly devoured one after the other. He smiled at the cub, wondering when was the last time it had eaten? If the snake had been following them since around midday this must have happened at least the night before, he was surprised that the snake hadn’t come back for the cub. He fell back and sat down, the cub’s eyes bore into his own forcing him to cut off more of the meat, each time he did the cub had jumped up and down. He had been sitting at the base of the tree, with the cub for about half an hour when he suddenly yawned. He was still exhausted from the previous day, and really needed to get back, if Alex or Troy woke up and he wasn’t there they would surely panic. But could he really leave the cub alone, even if the Naga was gone there were many more predators who would come after a defenceless cub, there was also the fact that it couldn’t feed itself.
“Do you want to come with me?”
The cub looked back at him with the same look in his eyes he had had all night, Braden shook his head, why was he asking it? Braden stood and looked down at the cub and smiled. He couldn’t take it away from its father, not by force. He turned away from the oak tree and headed back towards the clearing, he thought about bringing Alexander and Troy back here in the morning, or should he keep it to himself, a private memory of a giant lion in the woods.
He was soon back at the clearing and he could see that the two were still asleep. The fire had all but died away. From the look
“I won’t hurt you, or him.”
He knelt down looking over the beast, he couldn’t see any obvious signs of anything that could have killed the beast. No large gashes or any cuts that could have become infected. He thought about the wound maybe being on the lion’s other side. He stood again and walked to his right to get a closer look at the back of the lion. Leaning in close, he saw what looked like four small stab wounds in it’s side. He thought back to the Naga and it’s four fangs, had the lion come into contact with the snake before it had come after them? It appeared to be the only thing that could have caused the death of the magnificent beast which lay before him. A commotion at his feet caught his attention as he watched the cub struggling to pull a piece of the snake flesh from the bone. Braden and Alexander had already found the Naga's meat to be extremely tough, they had cut it into small pieces to chew before they could swallow it.
He moved back to the cub and knelt beside the chunk of meat, reaching forward, he was met with more hissing and growling. Using his small blade he cut a piece from the main chunk before pushing it in front of the cub. Braden could see it was cautious, not knowing whether to take the meat from him or not. Finally hunger won and the cub jumped onto the meat and chewed it quickly before sitting down. Braden cut another few chunks laying down it in front of the cub, it quickly devoured one after the other. He smiled at the cub, wondering when was the last time it had eaten? If the snake had been following them since around midday this must have happened at least the night before, he was surprised that the snake hadn’t come back for the cub. He fell back and sat down, the cub’s eyes bore into his own forcing him to cut off more of the meat, each time he did the cub had jumped up and down. He had been sitting at the base of the tree, with the cub for about half an hour when he suddenly yawned. He was still exhausted from the previous day, and really needed to get back, if Alex or Troy woke up and he wasn’t there they would surely panic. But could he really leave the cub alone, even if the Naga was gone there were many more predators who would come after a defenceless cub, there was also the fact that it couldn’t feed itself.
“Do you want to come with me?”
The cub looked back at him with the same look in his eyes he had had all night, Braden shook his head, why was he asking it? Braden stood and looked down at the cub and smiled. He couldn’t take it away from its father, not by force. He turned away from the oak tree and headed back towards the clearing, he thought about bringing Alexander and Troy back here in the morning, or should he keep it to himself, a private memory of a giant lion in the woods.
He was soon back at the clearing and he could see that the two were still asleep. The fire had all but died away. From the look
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