𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙿𝙿𝙴𝙳 𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙱𝙴𝙰𝚂𝚃𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙻𝙳

041

The dense underbrush of the forest was alive with the sound of birdsong and all manner of forest creature chirps. The sun shone through, a warm light filtering through the thick canopy above, allowing only an occasional beam of warmth to kiss the moist forest floor. The air was still, but the sound of rushing water was ever present just beyond the dense green foliage, a nearby river or stream nearby, ready for exploration. To the south, far past a large and deep ravine, a rocky outcropping could be seen, jutting out of a steep hillside rising above the valley floor.

The forest was alive with the sounds of creatures moving about, the rustles and creaks of their collective movement filling the air over the course of two days and three nights. Their destination was clear, a deep ravine where they hoped to find safety and escape a recent flood. They soon reached a small clearing and the great beast of the land stopped their movement.

The group stood before a quaint village of sheep, their wooly ears and tails sticking out from the thatched-roof huts. A few sheep came out to greet them, bah'ing in a mix of welcome and confusion.

"Are we there?" Alice whispered to Kitty, who were both seated on Winston

"I suppose" Kitty pulled Alice closer to her just as they reached the clear barriers guarded by some sheeps

The journey for the beasts and their mates had been difficult, to say the least. Many of the females were in their estrus phase, and the smaller young were struggling to keep up with the rest of the herd. The terrain was tricky, with deep mud and muddy streams blocking the paths forward, and the journey had taken longer than expected as they had to stop to nurse and care for the cubs. It had been a grueling, but necessary trip.

Just as Kitty and her family were about to enter the village, the gaurds at the gate stopped them attracting everyone's attention

"What happens to be the matter?" Winston asked

"The feral" one of the gaurds said disdainfully looking at Eros

"He's my mate" Kitty spoke up yet the sheeps looked at her suspiciously "I literally have four snakelings, you think I'll just pop them out without doing the deed?" She sneered. And she had a damn good reason to, all she knew was that she needed some rest. Her back was aching, her butt was aching, they haven't had proper food for three days and now this male was being stupid

Still when the gaurds did not show any sings of letting them in, Kitty grudgingly lifted her black snake skin top enough for the gaurds to see Eros' beast mark.

The gaurds still did not want to let another feral into their lands. Last time they did, a foolish male amongst themselves had sold him all the rice in the village, their females had to live without rice for an entire season before they could eat rice again. And all that just for an emerald - no matter how precious the emerald was to come across, they still thought the trade was unfair.

Winston growled at the sheep male who finally paved the way for the family to go in.

The village, was simple, yet charming. The homes, made mostly of wood and stone, were situated along the river that ran through the village. The sun-kissed trees surrounding the area provided a natural shade to the residents, as the houses seemed to blend perfectly into their natural surroundings, being just as beautiful as the forest itself.

A small group of lambs played in the water upstream, using their little horns to play with each other on the shore of the river, completely unsupervised. Their laughter was a joyful presence in the air, as the sun shone over the small village. Their ewes, who were conversing together would glance up and smile, watching happily as the children made the most of their day.