The Ugly Duckling Of The Tiger Tribe-Chapter 253: I also can’t wait for them to grow up

The descent began, and I could feel the powerful ripple of Damar’s muscles beneath me. Even though his legs were ’new,’ he moved with usual serpentine grace, as though he were gliding.

His footsteps were barely making a sound on the path.

My hands were wrapped around his neck, and in front of him, the basket of cubs was held firmly against his chest.

Raiden was the first to react to the wind. He stuck his nose out, his little ruby eyes widening as the scenery shifted. He let out a sharp yip of excitement, his tiny claws digging into the top of the basket.

If he wasn’t careful, he’d definitely fall.

"Steady, you to little troublemaker," I whispered, leaning my chin on Damar’s shoulder.

In front of us, Noah and Fenric were navigating the troller over a particularly rocky patch. Seeing the two of them grunting as they maneuvered a troller full of pots and blankets was a sight I’d never get tired of.

"Are you doing okay, Damar?" I asked, noticing the way his ears were still a lingering shade of pink.

"I am... more than okay, Ari," he murmured, his voice vibrating through my chest. "Having you here... it makes the path feel shorter."

"Don’t get too comfortable," Noah called back, his golden eyes scanning the treeline ahead. "Once we hit the valley floor, the terrain changes. We’ll be entering the territory of the Great Plains before we get to the West Way. It’s open, it’s beautiful, and it’s full of things that might want to see what a King tastes like."

"Let them come," Fenric growled, though he was smiling. "I haven’t had a good fight for a while now. I’m starting to feel like a house pet."

"A house pet that gets bitten by babies," I reminded him, and our laughter echoed in the forest.

"Oh come on, there’s no beating thunder." He said. "There is only one beast in the world that can bite me and get away with it."

"Hm? Who?" I asked.

"Of course it’s you." He said and my heart did a little flip.

"W-what about the cubs?"

"They’re also an exception but I can’t really call them beasts as they are right now, right?" He asked, sneering as he underestimated the basket of cubs.

Yeah, they were still too young to be called beasts.

"But once they’ve grown, it’s going to be a different story entirely." He grinned.

"Well," I looked at the basket of cubs, my voice coming out in whispers. "I also can’t wait for them to grow up."

As we reached the first plateau, I looked back one last time. The cave’s entrance was now just a tiny dot behind us, a tiny scar on the mountain that had kept us alive.

’Goodbye,’ I thought, tightening my hold on Damar. ’And thank you.’

As much as I hated the horrible memories that occured in that cave, there was denying the good ones and... The fact that the cave kept us safe throughout the winter.

If not for the cave, we would’ve frozen to death, and my cubs wouldn’t have been born safely. It was our safe haven during the cold, and a place to be remembered.

The sun was warm on my back, and the cubs were finally settling into a rhythmic bounce of Damar’s body as he moved.

It felt like I was moving toward a future that had names, and sunshine, and three men who were willing to carry the world for me.

"Hey, Noah!" I yelled toward the front. "How much longer until we see a road? A real one with actual folks?"

Noah looked back, a smirk playing on his lips. "Depends on how fast the ’Snake-Express’ moves, little tiger! But if we keep this pace, we’ll see the first watchtower by sunset tomorrow."

A watchtower... They even have stuff like that?

I mean, the tribes before did have people standing guard, but they never used the term watch tower. I guess for a tribe that already knows about education, knowing foreign words like this is a given.

My heart gave a little skip just thinking about how much more I was going to come into a civilized environment once we got through the rough patch in front of us... 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

By tomorrow, everything changes.

"You heard him, Damar," I teased, nipping the top of his ear and he flinched. "Pick up the pace!"

Damar let out a soft, delighted hiss and then looked over his shoulder, his green eyes landing on mine. He looked like he was going to cry because I was teasing him, but he didn’t. Instead, he let out a soft yet raspy breath and then gripped my thighs more firmly.

"As you wish," he said and lengthened his stride, heading down into the green heart of the valley just behind the fast-moving troller in front of us.

The descent continued until the air grew thick and sweet with the smell of damp grass and wildflowers. By noon, the sun was high enough to make my coat feel a bit too heavy, and the distant sound of rushing water caught my attention.

"I’m thirsty," I whispered and I knew they were too.

We’d been going as fast as we could all morning without stopping.

The cubs were also growing restless. I looked down at them.

They were asleep for now, but once they woke up, I wouldn’t hear the end of it.

"We’ll find a brook past this path," Noah said, and I nodded.

I just needed to hang on a little longer.

Then, just as Noah said, we found a small brook slicing through the valley floor, the water so clear it looked like liquid diamonds skipping over smooth, dark stones.

"Alright, break time," I announced.

Fenric and Noah steered the troller toward a patch of soft clover.

"Fenric, are you alright?" I asked as Damar knelt and I slowly got down from his back, my thighs feeling cramped and sore.

"I’m fine!" Fenric huffed, though he dropped his side of the troller with a heavy thud and immediately headed for the water to splash his face.

Damar looked at me and nodded before heading to the water as well.

I adjusted my clothes, feeling the familiar tug in my chest as the cubs began to stir and fuss in their basket. The rhythm of their basket rocking had lulled them to sleep, but the stop meant one thing: lunchtime.