[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... linded.gif[/imgleft]Dances with Shadows gave a thick sigh, a breath heavy with worry and uncertainty that caught in the wind that blew through the tall grass of the grasslands that lay between the swamp and his home.

Being patient was hard.

Tastes Like Summer, the doe who had stolen his heart yet refused to keep it, was heavy with foal. Foals that weren't his own but those of another buck. This whole thing was very confusing. It nearly broke his heart every time he saw her ever-swelling belly and doubt filled his mind like smoke, blinding him, choking him. It was awful...

And yet, despite all of this, Waltz would still gladly fight to the death for his Lady Summer.

The twilight-colored buck lowered his head, his long mane whipping in the chilling wind. Whatever should he do? What could he do? Kicking a spare pebble idly, Waltz immersed himself into his thoughts.

First things first, he had to sort out his feelings. Lady Summer loved him, that he knew. Yet she ran with other bucks. That he knew too. Hm... How did he feel? First he left betrayed, understandable until he realized that she was never truly his from the start. Under that, he was confused. If his Lady wanted other bucks, why would she want him to wait? Why should he wait at all? He snorted at that and pushed the thought away. Because he knew that if he did wait, she'd one day be his, of course. He could read that in her eyes. Easy enough. Deeper down, in a much warmer part of him, was his ever-burning love for her. Its heat was starting to push away the doubt-filled fog when suddenly, even deeper inside, to a place he'd never explored...

He felt an overwhelming urge to find his momma. 

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... hadows.gif[/imgleft]Cold. Wind. Soon to rain. Momma, where? Lost. Alone.

A quiet mewl whispered from deep in the grass as storm clouds darkened the sky. A tiny ball of fur, curled up, huddling its tail for warmth.

A kit without her mother.

Momma. Alone. Where? Momma. Momma... 

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... linded.gif[/imgleft]Momma? That wasn't right at all. Waltz's sunset eyes flashed open and his head whipped around. Ears twitching in each direction, he heard it.

A tiny, helpless sound, just a few feet away.

Thunder rolled deeply, and the frightened sound rang again. Waltz tilted his head as the grass stirred from something other than the wind. No scent of danger touched his nose. Hesitantly, with quiet steps, the buck approached.

Just as the first drops of rain began to fall, Waltz pushed a clump of plain grass aside, revealing a tiny spotted ball of fur wrapped in a long dark tail. The helpless mewl sang again and his heart squeezed inside him.

"Oh... Hush, Little One. Please, don't cry."

Gently, Dances with Shadows layed himself down in the damp grass, curling himself around the little baby, nosing her ever so gently closer. Worry filled his eyes, his doubt completely forgotten now, as the little thing shivered. Softly and slowly, he ran his tongue over the tiny kits fur, brushing it the wrong way, just as he remembered his mother doing.

"Hush, Little One. You are not alone." 

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... hadows.gif[/imgleft]Cold. Colder. Wet now too. Then suddenly warm. So warm... Momma...

The Cheeta kit shivered and snuggled closer to the heat. With what tiny strength she had left, she opened her midnight eyes to find its source.

Big. Warm. Hard-paw. Fear? Run? Can not. No. Sleep... Momma...

With a teeny yawn, the kit closed her eyes, trusting this hard-paw and his beautiful warmth, too tired to even consider fleeing.

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... linded.gif[/imgleft]Rain was falling much heavier now. Waltz lay in the grass, sheilding the baby from the wind and rain with his body, trying his best to keep her warm.

She was so soft, so helpless. He wondered if this was what Kiokote children were like. A smile slowly spread across his lips at the thought of his tiny Lady babies. Running about on the long sun-kissed legs, looking up at him with eyes just like hers...

He could do it, he decided right then. Even if they weren't his, they were a part of her, and that was all that mattered. The kit yawned against him and he curled up tighter. The father of his Lady's clutch had long since left. They'd be left alone, abandoned, just like this kitten. He needed to be their for them, as a friend, as a father. Just like this little kit... Thunder rumbled and Waltz's eyes slid shut as he rested his head over the sleeping kit. 

[imgleft]http://matope.pixel-blueberry.com/image ... hadows.gif[/imgleft]As the Cheetah kit slept, not a single drop of rain disturbed her from her warm, much-needed sleep. A purr rumbled in unison with the frightful thunder as soothing, but very odd, dreams of lots of baby hard-paws ran through her head. And in those dreams she protected them, kept them safe from scary things with the hard-paw that now slept over her.

For the first time since she could remember, this little kit felt at home. And she had a feeling it was the warm one who caused it. That itself was enough to make anyone purr.