Aaron Ackles (wanderingaaron) wrote in thefield, @ 2009-07-14 18:40:00 |
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Entry tags: | aaron, z - 1st tribe - day 28 |
More Responsibility
Aaron's heard was still pounding as he returned the to camp from his clam dig down the beach. He'd heard the commotion, all the dogs barking as well as people shouting. Wiping his hands on his jeans he rushed forward into camp, seeing that whatever had attacked them had moved on. Wide eyed, he took in the destruction and the confused or angry expressions on the people milling around. Rushing over to the cart to check on his belonging he gasped as one furry body lay sprawled in the mud. "Mamma!" he said breathlessly as he dropped down on to his knees. Gently he turned her toward him but there was no mistaking it. Those incredibly jewel bright green eyes were flat, vacant. Her head flopped bonelessly and Aaron eased her carefully back to the ground. "Poor thing," he said. Clearly the ill-tempered cat had taken on one of the dogs to protect her babies.
With his heart in his mouth, Aaron reached for the basket where the ten day old kittens had lived their short lives. Pulling it ward himself his shoulders slumped in relief when the sides of the grass-woven basket wiggled. He reached into the silky fuzzy mass and withdrew the four kittens one at a time. They blinked their massive eyes against the brighter light and mewled and were generally oblivious to the loss they had just suffered. "I'll look after you guys," he promised them. His eye took in a bit of movement and he spotted Lucy the pregnant goat. "Hopefully her milk will be good enough to get you guys through until you can hunt on your own." After a few more sympathetic strokes of their large sail-like ears he carefully tucked them back into the basket and tucked his hoodie in around them.
Aaron spent the morning burying Mamma cat and then giving his sleeping bag a good scrub. Maybe someday soon he'd actually get to sleep in it himself.