103 The Struggle

The forest was just as thick now as it was an hour ago by the lake. Jaivva led the cubs to follow the tracks. Luckily their sense of smell was keen enough to follow even if the tracks weren't visible.

One cub stood on its legs, yelling into a tree. The other remained by Jaivva's foot. No pandas were in sight. And surely none called back.

Jaivva's ears were no stranger to the sound of rustling. They picked up on the sound of twigs breaking. She ducked, calling the other cub to join her. It was possible this was a trap.

Tiny echoes rang through the forest. Each time Jaivva picked up on the location, another echo would instill doubt. One cub began crying up at her. The other remained quiet.

After looking around again, from right to left, she spotted a bloody panda foot on a log. It appeared to be dismembered with no clear signs of how. She backed the cubs away from the log as much as possible. Assuming that's where the attacker was, she should've been able to escape safely.