“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Blite growled. He puffed himself up, making him look twice his cub size. “I . . . I mean no harm.” The she-tiger whimpered. She was a tiger cub.
“That’s not my question,” Blite sneered. “Who are you and what do you want?”
The she-cub met his eyes. “My name is Chara. I am here because I have no friends or Streak. The first thing I experienced in this world was my Mother, Flame’s death. I found you and watched you kill the mole, and I wondered if such a fierce tiger cub could be friends with me. But, by the way you look, I guess not. I’m sorry.” She looked away.
Blite cocked his head, thinking. She had come all this way to be friends with . . . him? He kept his gaze locked on her. “I am Blite, the black-and-white tiger-cub, and you have a right to be friends with me. Please, be my friend, Chara. That would be . . . nice.” he said.
Chara returned her gaze to his, her eyes widening like moons. “Really? You’ll be friends with me?” she chirped. Blite bowed his head. “I have gotten treated badly by my tiger-brothers, and even my tiger-parents sometimes seem like they hate having me as their cub because I’m different. I hunted this mole to show them that they were wrong! I am as much of a tiger as they are!” he growled.
“That is wrong of them. I don’t see anything different with you, except that you’re actually someone who will accept my friendship,” purred Chara. 258Please respect copyright.PENANAkN057NJCTE
“Yes, yes. Now follow me. I can take you to my Streak. I will probably get yelled at for leaving the camp as a cub unsupervised, but I’m used to it. It’s ok. I vow to get my revenge someday.”
He and his new friend trod through the forest until they reached the den-area. He pushed through the leaves and brambles and was immediately covered in licks and shouts.
“Blite!”
“Tell me where you have been!”
“Have you been out into the forest?”
“Is that a mole in your mouth?”
“Where did you go, black-and-white Blite?”
When he heard that, Blite snarled furiously. “I may be different, but that doesn’t make me worse than any of you! What do you think, fur color depends on how you get treated?! I went out into the forest and hunted this mole to show you I’m as ferocious as any orange-and-black tiger!” he growled.
Flora, the leader of the Streak, stalked forward. “Where have you been, Blite?” Her voice was calm but stern. “And who in the name of the Great-Tiger is she?” Flora pointed with her muzzle at Chara.258Please respect copyright.PENANApH0TftupjB
Blite looked at her with fearless amber eyes. “This is my new friend, Chara. I finally found a tiger that doesn’t mind my black-and-white fur! And you better not send her away! I’m not afraid to fight anyone!” Blite snarled, fury overwhelming him.
Flora blinked. Blite’s Mother and Father Tiger, Silver, and Tigro, leaped forward, confronting Blite. “You don’t speak to your leader like that, Blite! How did my cub become this . . . thing?” Tigro snarled.
Blite gaped at his Father Tiger. “You think I’m just . . . a thing?” he exclaimed.
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