On a hot summer day lies a place where females frequently go to relax and gossip. Since it's a place that prohibits males from entering, the gorgeous place has become a heaven for females who wish to distress. How it came to be, it is said that the Unique One wished for a territory where she could bathe away from prying eyes. Thus, this particular land became a place of sanctuary. 

Today, at this very special place, females can either be seen delightfully swimming in the fresh sparkly river, bathing relaxingly under the sun's warm rays, or pruning each other's hair.  Of those who were pruning their hair was a strong blond wavy hair beauty purring happily at the black hair female who seemed to be playing with her hair. At a closer look, the wavy black hair olive skin female is continuously parting three separate blonde strands till making a long braid going down the half-leopard female's back. Besides the sitting concentrated female, nearby patiently sits a pale black hair beauty with a distinct mole underneath her left dark blue eye. This female is seen giving the olive skin instructor a gleeful smile.  

Finishing the braid by tying it with the half-leopard's own made crunchie, Suki looks up at her mother's delighted eyes.

 "My turn!" happily yells Lucy. To this the half-leopard female who was purring happily has now slightly jumped to Lucy's excited scream. 

"Jeez Lucy, a little warning next time," jokes Mallory. 

Lucy gives toothy smile and mischievously responds, "oh Mallory, you would really be scared if I truly tried."

To this Mallory couldn't help but laugh but not wanting to egg on the fox beast's nature, she quickly adds, "okay Lucy, your turn. Let's see if you can do the same as your daughter."

Lucy puffs her chest out, "of course I can! But remember, when I finish you gotta take it off..."

The half-leopard female's brown eyes smirk, "of course, you'll be the first of us females to show off this new braid. By the way, where did Suki learn this?" Mallory asks as she slightly purrs at Lucy's soft hand unbraiding her hair.

Suki laughs, oh goshhh I knew they'll ask. Thankfully I know who to blame this new discovery on..buahaha. "I learned it from Sheila."

Lucy's hands freezes but in a second she continues with pruning the leopard beast's mane, "is she the one brought on that night?"

"Mmmm, you mean the female who arrived at the Fire Mating Ceremony?" asks Mallory with her eyes closed.

Suki nods her head but when she sees that Mallory is blissfully closing her eyes, she responds, "yes, the same female. She mentioned to me yesterday that her name is Sheila. With our talk yesterday, she also showed me how to braid."

"Then you and her are getting along," mutters Lucy. Clearing her throat, she comments, "that I'm aware of, only the bird clan and horse clan know how to braid. Yet she looks too small to be from the horse clan, and she hasn't shown the characteristics of a bird clan."

"Yeahh... about that," ahhh I forgot that mama is realy perceptive! Letting out a long sigh, I nervously scratch the back of my neck. Can't exactly lie to her... "I'm not sure."

"Oh?" Both mama and Mallory look at me in wonder. 

Clearing my throat I add quietly, "she didn't say from what Clan she's from... but the little I know of her. She's not a female that would willingly threathen our tribe."

Mmmmm, "that's good" mutters the half-leopard female as she goes back to closing her eyes.

After getting the hang of braiding, mother while finishing asks directly, "how do you feel about her and Vick?" 

Knowing this would come, I answer honestly since nothing can go past her eyes. "I'm jealous, but not enough to attack her."

Patting Mallory's hair and gently tracing the braid, mother starts to unbraid her work, "then what's stopping you?"

Smiling half way and looking at her straight back, I responded obediently, "her eyes mama. Her eyes tell me she's innocent to this world."

Before mama could speak, Mallory gets up and stretches. Hearing her bones creak, she yawns outloud and finally says with a gentle smile, "that is your motherly instinct Suki. We females of the Clear Lake Tribe are protective of our cubs, yet it's the bear beasts that would turn into like collasals for them." Sighing a little she then quickly says before disappearing, "can't wait for you to give young Leo some cubs!"

To her loud goodbye, many females giggle as they glance at my now blushing face. 

A closer giggle lets me know that mama is enjoying seeing my reddened cheeks. Speaking of cheeks, she slowly gets up and with a hand she leads me to get up as well. Standing on her tiptoes, she then grabs onto my cheeks. Pouting she adds, "I miss your chunky cheeks."

"Mama..."

Giving them a last squeeze, she takes a step back and says, "Mallory is right about your bear beast". Proudly she adds, "at the same time, I know it's also because we raised your right." Smiling with myrth, she continues, "Suki, you have a forgiving heart to those who are weaker, but don't let your heart drive you into a sorrowful pit."

Not understanding, I tilt my head at her. 

Lucy laughs at her grown cub's familiar posture, "you'll learn in time. Now, I got to go and strut my braid!" Laughing merrily and slightly evilly, she hollers as she bounces away, "this will become our Clear Lake Tribes new braid!"

Tsk, mama never ceases to surprise me.

After mama's outburst the females start to get up from their relaxing posture and walk calmly to where their males would be waiting. 

"Suki, are you coming to watch the show?" asks a smiling Elena as she slightly wobbles by me. 

"Wow Elena, your pups are growing fast! How many cubs was it again?"

Elena smiles tenderly as she places a hand on her protruding stomach, "three."

Shaking my head, I smile back, "looks like you have a month left, how you feel? And may I hear them?"

Blinking her golden eyes she nods and grabs my hand to her bump. Slowly I lean over to her bump and place my ear on it. Closing my eyes, I concentrate on hearing her cubs. Not too long, my ears twitch at hearing three separate heartbeats. Delighted, I unconsciously smile and purr. Not sure if it was because they heard my purrs, but from her bump I felt as if a tiny paw tried to hit my cheek. 

Surprised, my eyes widen as I slowly stand back up and look at Elena confusingly. "Did they just punch me?"

Elena laughs heartedly, and Natasha who was nearby is also seen laughing with tears in her eyes. Between her laughter, the cinnamon haired female asks, "you never felt your mama's bump?"

Raising and eyebrow, I cross my arms as I reply, "yessssss, but they never tried to hit me..."

To this Natasha couldn't answer as she kept on laughing. 

Elena who was slowly controlling her laughter into a giggle finally respond, "he didn't really punch you, the cub was trying to touch you..." Then she adds thoughtfully, "seem's like that one really likes your voice."

Oh... great.