MV 6 Snippet 1

 So, I received the manuscript from Rea Wednesday. I've been a bit busy, and to be honest, wrapped up in finishing the Roo saga.

So, as to snippets, I'll do 1 from each story. I'll clean the book up and shoot it off to Goodlifeguide this weekend. :)

On to the snippet!

A Matter of Survival

 

Lop Earsighed heavily as he checked his zone. Nothing. It was getting near dark; histurn as sentry would end soon.

Most of the warren was hidden inthe shelters in the area and in the thocker and thumper trees. Temporaryshelters were to be built in the night by the cutters. But they needed to dosomething about the food and shelter situation. His stomach rumbled.

He had given all of his food tohis pregnant mate earlier, claiming he wasn't hungry. He didn't regret it; shehad a litter in her belly and had to feed them. If her body did not have enoughfood, the litter would die. Neither of them wanted that, but it might be for thebest.

It was getting cold. He couldfeel the heat seeping through his clothes as the sun's warming rays fell lower onthe horizon. It was bitter to want something that for his entire life he hadfeared. To be out exposed was a terrifying thing for most of the warren. It wasno surprise that many of the elderly and easily frightened had died of hearttrouble from the stress and anxiety.

It was their second night out ofthe warren. The meager supplies in the shelters were about exhausted. Somethinghad to be done.

He looked over to the warren. Itwas a crater; the giants had been busy digging the main shaft up over the day.He was again bitter, this time in anger at such destruction. So many of hiskind had died in the attack.

He felt a touch and looked to seeShredded Paw. The sentry nodded to him. He nodded back and passed over thespear before he went off to relieve himself and then head inside.

Black Speckle found him almostimmediately. She gave him water to drink, which he did. Once she was satisfiedwith that, she led him over to a small cove in the roots and pushed him down.

He had brought her straw andleaves. The leaves had been dry from the cooling air but she'd nibbled on someand used the rest as bedding material for herself and some of the does nearby.Fur lined the improvised nest. She pushed him down and then climbed on top ofhim.

He wordlessly protested androlled to cover her with his own body for warmth. She poked him until he endedup on his side with her nuzzled under his arm. He gently stroked her head andflat ears.

She twitched her nose and thenclosed her eyes and went to sleep. He soon followed.

~======~

Counter noted the shift changeand nodded wearily. He was bone tired. He wasn't getting much sleep, and histhoughts were beginning to slow. It was hard to keep up. There was so muchsorrow.

They still didn't have a nosecount on the losses. They had finally gotten in touch with the far flungshelters. Some of his people had fled to there, others were said to have goneand moved on. They wouldn't know the full death toll for some time.

He was already angry and saddenedby it. A lot of his people had ignored the warnings to head up and had insteadfollowed instincts and burrowed deeper to their doom. The poison gas that thegiants had unleashed had killed them. Even if they'd found a way to barricadethemselves into a tunnel, the fog-like gas seeped through the ground itself.

The day before they had seen thegiants excavate the warren core. They had taken many things from it. Some thingswere disdainfully thrown to the side. Bodies that were found were sent to theclearing and the Giant's Warren thing.

He had watched warily and sadly.It had hurt to see so many snuffed out so callously. Death was not unknown tothe Roo and not just in singles. Sometimes fire or flood would take many.Sometimes disease or even fear would. But this was different.

Those other things he could dolittle about. A predator could be killed. These predators though, they were toodangerous to fight. Roos survived by hiding from such monsters.

He had suppressed the urge tohold a memorial for the dead. He knew it hurt one and all, but the thumpingwould have attracted the attention of the Giants. They had to be quiet and hopethat the enemy stayed occupied with their spoils and did not go looking for therefugees.

He looked at the slowly sinkingorb in the sky and then around them. This was the longest he had ever been nearthe surface, and the tension gnawed at him like many others. That and the cold,he had some clothing due to his advanced age, one never felt completely warm asyou grew older, but this was different. They didn't have stout earth aroundthem to keep the warmth in—nornests, nor food. His stomach gnawed on his insides right on queue.

He gnawed on his well-gnawedstick to ease the hunger pang for a moment.

He had sent out runners to thefar-flung communities after Fast Thumper had thunked out the warning in thetree. There had been muted answers from two of their nearest neighbors. GreenPainted Rocks had sent a short reply and then went silent.

No doubt they did not want togive away their position. In a way, he couldn't blame them.

They had plenty of water. Theyhad temporary shelter, though the trees and hidden shelters would not lastthrough the long cold. They needed a proper warren. They needed to break thecommunity up and send them in convoys to their neighbors soon or find a newnesting place.

It was already shaping up to be aharsh cold season. All of their supplies were in the warren's chambers. Thosethat had been stored in the shelters for emergency use had been depleted.

Hunters, Defenders, Breeders, andGathers had warily gone out to take in what they could. Cutters had brought inwood but it was too dangerous to burn. They had shifted their focus togathering what nesting material they could to insulate the hollows and rootsthat were being used as small nesting sites.

It wasn't enough though. His peoplewere packed into the tree and shelters. They had little room to move within. Worse,some of the younglings were beginning to gnaw on the roots out of hunger. TheDoes were drying up for lack of food to produce nourishing milk. The younglingshad to eat or they too would die.

In a way it might be for thebest, he thought grimly.

~======~