All characters referred to in this story are copyright Daniel Pering. Any unauthorized alteration, or distribution constitutes as theft and will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law. Enjoy but don't mess with this stuff.

CHAPTER II

Lillian awoke to the noise of some creature slowly moving through some bushes. Morning had come, but no birds were singing. Suddenly her keen ears detected the sound of hushed voices,

"I know I can smell fresh blood around here somewhere." one said. Another voice joined in,

"Is any of it Lillian's?" the other asked. Lillian opened her muzzle to shout but a strange, strong paw held her muzzle shut keeping her from making a sound. She looked up into the face of the strange creature and did her best not to scream. It was a frightening thing in the daylight. Lillian's own paws shot up and tried to remove its paws from her muzzle so she could cry for help. Her best efforts were in vain. She struggled and tried to scream but could only make a squeaking sound. The creature pulled her kicking and thrashing, from her mini burrow. She took the opportunity to scratch the creature' exposed chest, forcing it to drop her. The creature scrambled to hold her down, she screamed for all she was worth but it was no use. It was far stronger than she was and did not seem to notice the deep cuts on its chest that were dripping blood onto the frightened tigress beneath it. She could hear several sets of foot paws coming toward her with the careful silent ease of seasoned hunters. She stopped struggling and lay still for a moment surprised that the creature was not doing anything. The creature was trying to study her; it turned its head this way and that as if trying to figure out what she was. Lillian was terrified.

The creature slowly let go of her paws and let her up, while it backed away from her cautiously. Lillian took one good look and that finalized her thoughts about it. The creature stood up on its two hind legs just like she did. It didn't have fur like she did instead it had bare skin, it didn't have claws, just strange long paws with five un-webbed toes instead of four webbed ones. It had only a strip of skins covering it's groin and buttocks, and it looked to be probably male although Lillian could not tell for sure and was not particularly interested in finding out. By far the strangest physical feature was it's head. It had only a type of dark colored fur covering the top of its head, it had no muzzle only a short nose and what looked to be flat teeth, and its ears, placed half way down its head were rounded instead of pointed. It looked Lillian over as well. Three of Lillian's clan mates rushed into the small clearing and stood aghast at the strange creature. A good friend to Lillian, Carla, a huge lioness of a cat, bared her fangs at the creature and looked ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked Lillian. Lillian nodded her head,

"I think so. What should we do with it?" she asked. Another clan creature spoke,

"We could eat it and tell the chief what we found." a small ferret named Jacob said jokingly. Lillian almost screeched at him,

"No! You will not! That thing saved my life!" she said. Sensing its life might in danger, the creature turned and ran off. Before anyone could say anything Carla pounced and clobbered it on the ground knocking it out.