14 Ch 12 Endangered Bloodline

Mwezi didn't have a moment to comprehend as blood spattered across her face and the man in front of them dropped to the ground with his upper torso ripped off. Mwezi's eyes darted from the carcass before her to the massive saber tooth tiger standing in front of them. Her neck hurt to look up at it, even though the cage was on the back of a carriage. It stood at nine feet tall on all fours as it's glowing yellow eyes bore into her as it opened its mouth and tossed the upper half of the man's body away. The blood coating its fur flicked off with the toss and Mwezi took a step back she didn't have room for. "Took you long enough!" Sabine berated the animal. The beast's eyes went from hunger to boredom. "Sabine! Sis!" Mwezi said, tapping the woman's arm in warning.

The Sabertooth lunged at her side of the cage forcing Mwezi to let out a blood curdling scream. "Brother enough! She's a friend!" Sabine said as she threw herself in front of Mwezi. The saber tooth relaxed but not before throwing a warning grown at Mwezi. "Sorry. He can be a wee bit over protective." Sabine apologized as the sabertooth clawed the door clean off. "Brother this is Mwezi. Mewzi, Namur. My big brother." Sabine introduced them as she climbed out the cage with Mwezi close behind her. "Apologies, I wasn't trying to hurt your sister. I just didn't know if riling you up was the best thing to do." Mwezi Apologies sincerely.

She hadn't realized she was tripping over a body until Sabine caught her. It was then she realized Namur had gotten rid of the other men while she wasn't paying attention. Mwezi onced over the bodies and she felt sick. She ran towards the front of the carriage and vomited what little food she had left in her. "Hey you okay? I didn't peg you for a weak stomach." Sabine asked as she tossed Mwezi a rag and water canteen. "I'm...not?" Mwezi asked more than said in a confused manner. "You don't seem to be too sure yourself." Sabine joked as Mwezi started frantically counting on her fingers. There wasa growl that got both of the women's attention as Namur motioned for them to follow him.

"Come on. We gotta go." she said, pulling Mwezi along. "Wait, are we heading back? I need to get to my mates." Mwezi said afraid. Namur growled and rolled his cat eyes before walking off the path and into the tree line. "Some mates. They couldn't stop you from getting kidnapped?" Sabine said and Mwezi wasn't sure if she was joking or being serious. "Well yeah especially if they weren't there." Mwezi replied. "Oh, they let you go out alone?" Sabine asked curiously. " I was with my mother, the bear queen." Mwezi replied absent mindedly. All this time here and her feet hadn't quite yet hardened to weather the forest floors. "Yikes." Sabine replied. Mwezi stopped and turned to her. "Last I checked you were in the cage too. Far longer than me. So much for an overprotective brother." Mwezi replied swiftly. Her petty was rising with her anger.

Namur had turned around and lunged at Mwezi but she ducked and rolled under him. She grabbed two rocks and hit them together. "You wanna go?!" She yelled at him. Namur paused not sure if he was offended or confused that he spoke to her in such a manner. Sabine burst out laughing and walked over to Mwezi, patting her shoulder. "I like her a lot. She's definitely with us. Plus the kids would kill for an auntie." Sabine replied over her shoulder.

Naumr growled low as he walked past Mwezi to catch up with Sabine and Mwezi randomly hissed back. Naumr looked taken aback with his head jerking away but all the dried blood matting his fur made him look all the dangerous he is.

It didn't take long for Mwezi to tire out. With long distances like this she was used to riding in a carriage or one of the men carried her. Her feet were sore and she was sure to be cut in some places. "We can rest here for now. Sleep in the day and travel under the veil of night." Sabine said as she had already gathered some firewood. Mwezi helped all she could but her feet were burnt out and she sat on the ground looking around for anything to sooth her pain. Namur brought over a leaf of aloe and dropped it in her lap. "So, not to be rude but uh." "He doesn't shift." Sabine replied to the unasked question. "Doesn't care for the human aspect of life." she added and Mwezi nodded confused. "Get some rest yeah?" Sabine suggested as she helped apply the Aloe and wrap Mwezi feet. "Yeah sure." she replied.

~

"Where is she!?" Nyoka hissed in frustration. He was tired of the days that were now weeks without Mwezi. Her, Kai and him had shared something so special, just for her to be taken from them. "Nyoka enough! We're all frustrated, drained, tired, scared and missing her!" Kai snapped. He looked up from the war table at Nyoka, his golden honey eyes glowing. Māui and Tayir burst into the war room. "What news do you bring?" The king asked. "We found the wreckage of a carriage that looked to be carrying people. There was a cage on the back that had been broken open but I've never seen these claw markings before." Māui informed them. Tayir shook his head when the king looked at him. "No idea either," he said.

"Mwezi and who we are assuming was another prison scent was on it but it was at least a week old and fading." Māui added. " we backtracked and found a set up for an auction house. It had been empty for some time but Māui was able to pick up a few scents.." Tayir added. "Old...employers." Māui said in disgust. "Yes well there were some unusual animal tracks leading away from the carriage and two normal foot prints. There was a campsite a few miles up with Mwezis scent but she had been long gone again. It's like we're always ten steps behind." Tayir said frustrated.

"Sabertooth" Tayir's father said as he entered the war room. "Impossible!" The king said in shock. "I thought so too but it looks like they didn't all die out." The general replied. "So we just find them and save Mwezi." Paka retorted. "It's not that simple." the king said, sounding nearly defeated. "What don't we know father?" Kai asked agitatedly. "It was before us Kai, please do not be angry with him." the queen pleaded. "What's the issue?" Nyoka asked.

"All the kings of the great kingdoms hired out the Sabertooths for their dirty work. Imagine me but bigger, stronger, better at everything. It was almost like they had a connection to the world itself. The way they could run forever, track, fight, anything and in both forms, was unnatural." Māui started to tell the story. "And when our kings had reached their proper power placements and goals, they didn't just toss the Saber people aside. They realized the secrets they had and power they could wield, so they banded together and tried to take them all out." he finished. Everyone in the room except for the king, queen and higher up generals were a mix of shock and mortified. "Instead of making peace with them and breaking bread, our ancestors tried to wipe them out. That kind of feud is not something we could apologize for. Ever." the king said. "Our main hope right now is finding Mwezi and hoping the Saber isn't who she's with.

~

It had been almost two months since Mwezi was separated from her mates. She never lost hope of being reunited with them but after hearing the history of her people from Sabine, she wasn't sure they'd ever find her or that the Sabers would let her go. Mwezi was conflicted. She had spent time with Sabine's children Ramur, Malmur and Taymur, named after their grandfather and uncles lost in the war. Although Sabine was proud of her boys, she very much wanted a girl. More boys helped the Sabertooth line regrow though and they had already started their training early at the age of 10. Mwezi understood now why Namur and Sabine were so strong. They both trained from youth and never stopped practicing.

"Hey Sabbie, not that you have to tell me but...how did those people catch you?" Mwezi asked. She knew it was a sore subject but they had all but considered her family. Even Namur tolerated her now. "We had gone camping, the boys and I. I wanted to help them with their tracking training. The snow season had ended and it was well into the rainy season. Perfect to practice with scent and track removers and distractors. It was in the middle of a storm, I was their game and they were to catch me. I took a head start and they were to follow. Naturally I was down wind to make it harder. I don't know how they spotted me but next thing I know the boys caught up because I had to stop and deal with the men coming at me. I told them to run and got distracted. My boys escaped but they got me and because of my shortfall I missed 3 years with my sons." Sabine said as tears silently fell down her face.

Mwezi didn't realize she started to cry until she felt the water drip off her chin. She grabbed Sabine tightly and they hugged one another until they both cried it out. Namur had taken the kids elsewhere at some point as he overheard their conversation. Sabine was grateful, she didn't want anyone to know she was still beating herself up about something they all told her wasn't her fault. "It wasn't your fault love. As a parent I would have done the same thing, given myself up for my children. You're home now, healthy and with your family again." Mwezi said. Sabine nodded knowing she was right. "Well you'll know soon enough." Sabine replied, changing the subject.

"Pardon?" Mwezi asked confused. They had pulled away from the hug but while Mwezi's face held confusion, Sabine's face wore a smug smile. Namur ran past them with all 3 boys clinging to his fur as he tried to buck them off. "That'll be your pups clinging to Namur soon enough." Sabine replied. "Hi yes, perhaps I missed something. Your brother tolerates me, barely." MWezi retorted. "Yes but whomever's pups are in you now, I assure you he'll make a great father." Sabine returned before getting up and running off to her brother and children. Mwezi felt the color drain from her face as she placed both hands on her belly. 'I'm...pregnant?' she thought to herself. She knew now more than ever she needed to get back to her mates, but she felt like leaving the sabertooths would mark her as a betrayer. 'What do I do?' she asked herself 'And why does Sabine keep shipping me and her brother?'