we didn't start the [FIRE IN ABAVEN]

She was a little overwhelmed by everything going on, from the stranger in their path, and Cannival, who had dropped her gently on the earth when she had preferred her high-vantage position. It had felt safe in her friends grip. Even if it hadn’t been entirely comfortable.

When Taffy appeared, Motif was grateful, certain her uncle was here to help. The girl wiggled, grateful, until he spoke. Her words confused her, and she blinked at him, not understanding. Her mumma had told everyone that the lion was here in the pack. She had howled it out in the news, and even little Motif had known to listen to it. What, did everyone think this was the other lioness, not the pack one. She was already starting to smell like Abaven, like home if they just sniffed from their muzzle and took a moment to think.

She wasn’t expecting Canni to push her, and she stumbled off balance and fell on her nose in the earth. There was already a light blaze nearby and a spark landed on her sensitive nose. She yelped and scrambled to her paws. She turned around in time to watch Canni jumping into the tree tops. “No, come back, the fire, it’ll eat you!” she cried, frightened and coufsed. She looked to her uncle, stressed and confused with tears already bawling from her eyes. “Taffy, Taffy, help me get her down!” she cried, imploringly. Her Uncle had always been there for her, she knew he would help.

Utterly overwhelmed with everything around her, and feeling the heat from the fire, she began to bawl in earnest. She ran to the tree and scrambled ineffectively against the bark. Succumbing completely to her emotions, the young girl would begin to yell. “I’m not leaving until I get Canni. I would rather DIE!” she cried, delving into a full blown tantrum as she threw her claws into the tree, beating it rather then scratching it, crying hard and screaming incoherently, she already felt the heat of the fire licking at her paws.