Orphaned [The Jungle Book] {1}

Shere Khan

  It was the dry season, the jungle animals gather to drink the water that remains as part of a truce during a drought that enables the jungle's wildlife to drink without fear of being eaten by their predators.

Katerina went there with the wolves, she stood at the big stones with the cubs as Raksha came behind her, "Don't forget," She started. "No hunting," Katerina said, knowing the rules. "Playing only," Raksha said. "Playing only," Katerina repeated. "I got it, Mom."

"And remember; Not everyone seeing a woman cub in the jungle before so behave yourself," Raksha said. "Okay, can I go now?" Katerina asked with a smile. "Take the wolves with you," Raksha said and smiled as Katerina started walking down to the river with the cubs.

Katerina and the cubs walked around the animals as some looked at the woman cub and talked. "Everyone is here," One of the cubs said. Gray smiled, "Is that a peacock?" He, the cubs and Katerina walked over to the peacock and a hedgehog fighting over a stick. "Let go of my stick!"

The hedgehog showed his spines as Katerina got closer to him and it hurt her leg. She cried in pain as she hold her leg and jumping away slightly. The hedgehog turned around to face her, "Sorry, my bad. It's involuntary. I can pee on it."

Katerina's back touched a male rhino as he was drinking. He stopped and looked at her, "Watch yourself please," He said. "Sorry," Katerina said and walked behind him and his family with the cubs.

Katerina sat on one of the big rocks with the cubs and started making something to help her drink. After that she dropped it to the water all of a sudden, freighting the animals just for a second. She used the rope that was attached to it and pulled it out with some water inside. She started drinking from it while the animals looked at her.

"Katerina." She stopped and looked up to see Akela staring down at her. "What was the rule about your tricks?" He asked. "It's not the wolf way," She said sadly as she dropped the water back. "No more tricks," Akela said. She sighed as Raksha stood close to Akela.

He smiled softly down at the woman cub, "Cheer up, little one. We'll make you a fine wolf yet." She looked up at him and started to smile at him. "What about me? Am I going to be a fine wolf? Look at me howl," Gray said and started to howl cutely.

"At some packs, the rant gets eaten," Akela joked. Gray immediately stopped and Katerina giggled softly at his scared cute face. Suddenly, everyone looked up at the sky when the eagles called.

Danger.

"Katie, get behind me," Akela said. Katerina got up and rushed with the cubs behind the rock Akela and Raksha were standing. Akela turned slightly to look at Katerina. "Don't leave my side," He ordered before looking back to the top of the rock with everyone. The sun was bright, that was the only thing they could see but they could hear a roar.

A tiger's roar.

Soon, they all could see him.

Shere Khan.

He came down the rocks, sniffing the air as he did.

A human cub?

It was a scent of a woman cub.

All the animals backed away from the water. Bagheera, who was resting on a rock, got up as he looked at the tiger. He glanced at Katerina to see she was hiding behind Akela before looking back at Shere Khan to see he was drinking some water.

The wolves all gathered at the rock that Akela was, protecting their leader and the woman cub.

Shere Khan finished and slowly walked around his side, "Everyone comes to peace rock, so many smells to catch on," He said. "But uh . . ." He looked at the wolves. "I can't help but notice that there is this strange odor today." Katerina moved more to Akela's side.

"What is it? This scent that I'm on?" Shere Khan asked. "I'm almost . . . I'm almost thinking it was some kind of a . . ." He stopped in front of the wolves were at the other side, "Woman cub."

Katerina glanced at Bagheera to see he was making his way over to her and the wolves. "Katerina belongs to my pack, Shere Khan," Akela said as Raksha stood in front with the other wolves.

"Katerina? They giving it a name," Shere Khan said. "When was it, you came to adopt a human into the jungle?" Bagheera stood at the rock with Akela as the leader spoke, "She is just a cub."

"Is my face not reminds you what a grown human can do?" Shere Khan snapped, showing his face. His left eye was white and he had a mark on the nose. "A man did it to you. She is not like that," Bagheera spoke up. "A man and a woman are the same to me," Shere Khan said and looked at Katerina for a second before Bagheera moved closer to Akela, hiding Katerina from him.

"I changed my hunting grounds for a few years and everyone forgets how to law works. Let me remind you; Man or woman, humans are forbidden!" Shere Khan said, giving a small roar at the lost part. Raksha took a step forward as the wolves were ready to attack, "What do you know about laws?" She asked coldly.

"Raksha," Akela warned but she ignored him, "Hunting for pleasure, killing for power. You never knew law. The cub is mine! Mine to me, so go back to were you came from, you burned beast!"

"The tiger knows who rules this part of the jungle. I'm sure he didn't came here to make threatens. Especially during a water truce," Akela said.

Shere Khan stared at the wolves for a moment before he spoke, "No, I deeply respect for this laws to keep us safe. So here's my promise; Nothing last forever. The rains will return and the rivers will rise, and when this rock will disappear, the truce will end."

Katerina continued looking at the tiger between Akela and Bagheera's feet's. "You want to protect her, it's fine," Shere Khan said. "But ask yourselves, how many lives is a woman cub worth." With that he left, soon everyone started to walk away, leaving Katerina, Bagheera and the wolves.