Necessity and the Single Mother

By Ebonhawk

The cause of all of Lyna’s problems sat on the table in front of her. She had spent nearly two years developing the basic structural diagrams and five more learning techniques to create crystal according to her needs. Now it was done and she still could only wonder if it would even work. It was now time to test her theories in conceptual transmission. Everyone else called it telepathy but that was the most limited of applications.

Lyna reached out with her lionaid paw and using just her claws pulled the

crystalline ring from the setting. She gently held it up to the florescent light. It gleamed brightly and when she turned it at an angle it showed the inverted rainbow double helix rainbow that she had predicted would be this ring’s natural trait. It was so beautiful. She didn’t think twice about putting it on.

Invisible fire ran through her finger. At first Lyna thought that the ring must still be hot from the crystallization process. But then the pain began to move. It wasn’t fast but a slow building speed climbing inexorably up to her arm and then her shoulder. She wanted to remove the ring but she found that she couldn’t move. She couldn’t scream. When the pain reached her muzzle, it had become to much for her and she did the only thing she could do - she passed out.

It was a scream for help that awakened her. “Mother. Mother”, the little voice yowled almost a mile away. It wasn’t the sound of Malcolm that bothered her as much as his tone. Fear was an acceptable sound to come from him. Truth is that he was not the bravest of lion cubs. She never minded that. It was bravery that got her prydemate killed. The sound that came to her from her son’s muzzle was more the sound of desperation and panic.

Lyna realized that she was getting up from the floor as she rose to her feet. Her head was throbbing and she had landed on her right paw painfully. Neither mattered. Her son needed her and she was going to his side. She struggled out the front door of her home only to have her nightmare made clear for her.

Running out of the trees was Malcolm followed by at least 15 hyenas in full battle dress. She knew that she couldn’t hope to fight off so many dog-furs but the fact that they were twice as large as her son added to her fury. She wanted to run up to her son but the best she could do was to get to the porch column and wait for him there. She looked at the marauders and bared her fangs. It had the desired effect - they stopped in their tracks. Once Malcolm reached her, she let her fur tipped tail wrap around him as he clung to her leg.

“What have we got here?”, said one hyena. “This must be the boy’s misbegotten mother.”

“Two pelts for the price of one”, said one female hyena.

“If you all leave now no fur has to get hurt. We don’t want any trouble”, Lyna replied.

“Too bad cat girl. The way I see it you already have trouble an’ we aim to put an end it.”, the leader said.

Lyna knew that she couldn’t fight them. Even if she believed in guns, she didn’t have one aimed at them right now and they had several aimed at her. She looked at the group. Hyenas are mostly dangerous because, like their unresolved keen, they work together. It was unusual for a male to be in charge and the female beside him kept looking at him. She knew what had to be done. She only could hope that the ring’s power would be enough. Lyna let a little hope spring free in her heart.

“I guess this is it for us, son”, Lyna said so that all could hear. “I just wonder who will get this beautiful one of a kind ring” With that she held the ring aloft. the gasp from the canines was deafening. The widest eyes belonged to the female that had spoke earlier. That would be the first target.

Lyna concentrated really hard and thought at the canine, “This ring should belong to a beautiful female not some stone-brained male!” Then she saw the hyena’s head bob with agreement. “I will take your ring, kitty”. She stepped forward toward Lyna and directly in front of her ‘leader’

It took less then a second for the disrespected leader to respond. He grabbed her and spun her around. “What are you doing? I am the leader here. This is my pack. I decided what you will get.”

“Let me go!”, the young female said as she pulled out of his grasp. “You ARE a rock-headed male. We females have always ruled because we are the better, smarter sex. Our enemy is right in front of us and you seek to stop me from destroying her.”

“Mind your place”, the leader growled as the other males gathered behind him.

“You have my place!”, she barked at him as females readied their weapons to fight the males.

Lyna smiled and sat down. She watched as soon she and her son were ignored. The fighting was brutal. But, it did give Lyna an opportunity to show her son how not to bite your friends. After a few minutes, Lyna was able to grab on of the abandoned guns and she waited for the ruckus to end.

Lyna fired a single shot in the air and then leveled the weapon at the leader. “I think it is time for you folk to leave.” She felt herself grimace as she concentrated on sending a single message to the male leader - “leave”. He was still standing on the would-be-leader female and he looked around a bit confused. He picked up two of the females he had beaten down and began to go.

"You a lucky cub, cat. If you smawt, 'ude better be gone by the time we get back or you gon'ina get a lot more trouble then you have ever seen.", the leader said. His jaw sbegining to swell from the pounding he had received.

In a few moments, they were gone. Lyna looked at the ring on her finger and smiled. The little crystal ring really had come in handy. She took her son by the hand and went inside to make them both some supper.