When Tragedy Strikes (Shaundi)

[Nami]

Cray's paws barely skimmed the ground as he flew towards the den. He had been with Moro, meditating when he had smelled the smoke and heard the muffled cries for help within his deeply entrance mind. He had run with full force up the stone stairs and into the forest, his body dodging trees, logs and boulders left and right. He could see the small wisp of smoke coming from the area around his den. Never before in his life had Cray been so terrified.

As Cray approached the den, he could see that something had sparked this fire, a old oak had fallen in front of their homely den. He could hear coughing and sputtering of his mate, and two cubs. Cray crawled low, feeling his fur singeing as he pulled himself closer to the flames.

"Shaundi? Are you and the cubs hurt?" He called, the smoke choking his calls and making his eyes burn and water. He could see his mate's huddled figure in the end. He called again and began to dig, trying to make a path for his mate and cubs to crawl underneath the burning tree, the flames were getting closer and closer toward the branches that trapped his family's path. He had to do this quickly, or he'd lose everything he loved.

[Emily Coleman]

Shaundi
I jumped out of the fire, then remembered my cubs.
I shot a loving glance at Cray and dived in.
The pain and agony i felt was un-believeable.
Then ... the cave collapsed, trapping us alive in the fire.

[Nami]

Cray snarled and began to dig, the pain of the fire, ripping into his flesh. He finally broke through and saw Shaundi, he grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and pulled her through, thinking that both cubs where in her gentle clutches. He pulled his mate away from the fire, a safe distance away from the flames but still in the range of the smoke.

[Emily Coleman]

But Shaundi was already dead. One of the cubs was dead, smoke forcing the air out of its lungs in Shaundi's arms.
The other was now lost and dead in the fire.
Rein rushed up.
"CRAY!" I screamed.

[Nami]

(Wait, what about the other cubs?)
Cray kept nudging Shaundi, trying to arouse her from her eternal slumber. He ignored his sister, all he looked at was his mate, he knew his cubs where dead, an empty space in his heart made it clear to him that they were gone.

[Emily Coleman]

(Oh yeah!)

Shaundi coughed awake, screaming.
"My babies" She jumped up, the flames reflected into her eyes.
Rein rushed forward.

[Nami]

Cray held his mate back, holding her down, "They are gone, my love. We lost them." He moaned, crumbling down next to her, the grief was too much for him. Never before did he think anything would hurt so much in his life. He felt as if he was dying only to come back and die again.

[Emily Coleman]

Rein hugged them both, avoiding the cave.

I gulped and the tears came pouring like oceans from my eyes.

[Nami]

Cray remained silent, he could have just laid there until death took him.