leopards and bats and toucans, oh my!

Zee was on the hunt - a very expansive, massive hunt. Her grocery list consisted of a half dozen companions of all different species, and as much as Zee was determined to find the animals to gift to her children, she didn't necessarily know where to find each individual animal. Sirius had come up with a good idea, and with the titan's advice she decided upon getting a bat for Azure. While she didn't necessarily agree with forcing a young pup to learn the ways of fighting so soon, she could see the benefit in giving the hardheaded boy a companion that it was his responsibility alone to train and tame.Though she wished to even it out, as well. While Sirius was to gift him the bat, Zee wanted to gift him something small and helpless to raise and look after to nurture his gentle side as well. Currently he seemed to lack one at all, and Zee knew the importance of empathy in a growing pup.

Zee headed first to the crypt, keeping her eyes and ears open for the tell-tale sound of bats. She wasn't sure whether or not she'd find what she was looking for, but she knew she had to try for Azure and Sirius' sakes. The crypt was extremely dark, and Zee felt bad that at one point in time the alpha pair had dropped their children off 'alone' within it. Of course, they weren't alone. They had Bast and Marshal looking over them, but that didn't mean the pups didn't feel the fright of a dark wet cavern.

It took her hours to even hear the noise, and it was faint when it reached her. Zee stepped in further, careful to walk softly as to not alert the creatures. The bat was specifically to be untamed, and she couldn't talk it into following her around. Instead she had to capture it like Sirius caught his slaves, give it to Azure and insist that he figure out a way to build a partnership with the cave-dweller. When she got nearby, Zee crouched low. She stalked towards the ledge where she heard the noise, then leaped and snapped her jaws upon whatever first they reached. It was a massive bat that seemed to be bigger even then her head. Zee struggled to keep it's leg within her jaws, and with a flick of her head directed it to the ground. Her paw came upon it's wing to pin it, and she growled lowly into it's face to command it to be still. The bat still attempted to flutter, though much less powerfully with only one wing. She was careful not to injure it badly, and while her paw held it she reached back into the pouch she'd brought to withdraw a leather sack. It felt horribly awful and unkind, but Zee swallowed hard and then threw the sack over it. It fluttered and screamed loudly, but eventually she managed to convince it to go inside.

The backpack she'd borrowed had a loop made specifically for similar pouches, and she latched it on and yanked the string with her teeth so the pouch would stay closed. With that done, she moved to leave before a quiet peep came up to her from the floor by her foot. Zee leaned in to inspect it, sniffing and working to adjust her eyes to the darkness. When she lifted her head back up, a fuzzy tiny thing grasped upon it. It was a tiny bat that must have gotten yanked along with the larger one. Whether the two were companions or not, Zee didn't know... but it felt wrong to leave the little thing without it's larger buddy. Zee sighed, and then turned away to head back into the open air.

Once in the daylight again, she could see the tiny face of the bat and couldn't help but smile at it. It reminded her of her daughter, and Zee decided that was to whom the little thing would be going to. She moved it gently onto her shoulder to hitch a ride back, and happily the bat dug in it's claws and rode along with her.

At least one more companion was required for her to find, and Zee knew just where to look. She'd smelled the family of leopards on the way to the crypt, and intended to rid them of at least one child. Again, her moral compass tried to sway her otherwise but Zee knew she had to be strong. She was a Queen now, and her children's good health and learnings were more important than a mother leopard. If the creature fought for her young, Zee knew she'd need to kill it - or send Sirius out after it. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

She gently eased the bat off her shoulder and dropped the backpack, dropping the bat gently upon the top of the pouch where it's friend squirmed within. Once they were free of the danger, Zee ran in towards the leopard's den. There were howls that could be heard loudly to anyone nearby, and Zee came out bloodied but with a cub in her jaws. It was alive, unharmed entirely. It also was the perfect age, and already weaned from it's mother.

With the snow leopard, the tiny bat, and the angry pouched bat in tow, Zee headed towards home. The same Toucan that always perched upon the tree and watched her in her patrols welcomed her with a happy cry, and Zee paused at the foot of the tree. "Hey, wanna come with?" She offered the bird. It's colors nearly matched her own, and after all if she was gifting her children companions she could use a second one herself. Her snake was a fierce pet, though she wished for a bird to help tell her of coming storms. It was a suggestion she'd put forward to Hari, and her friend had agreed to send word with the bird back whenever a thunderstorm was incoming. The Toucan flew down - perched on the opposite shoulder of the tiny bat - and with her handful of companions Zee headed home.

Word Count: 1027