Empty Cradle
Chapter 25
By Leanna
Panthro burst into Leanna's bedchamber, making the Snarf Sele nearly jump out of her fur, "brrrrrrrr, Panthro you scared the living daylights out of me," she chastised tapping her small foot on the floor and giving the large panther a cross look.
"Where are the cubs?" Panthro asked ignoring the female snarf as he went over to the bed. He leaned down and gently removed the oxygen mask from the lioness's face and moved the blanket aside and reached down and picked her slippers up off the floor and put them on her feet and then picked her up and laid her on top the thick quilt and swaddled her like a child.
"They're in the nursery playing" Sele answered as Pumyra unhooked the medical equipment.
"Good go get them ready, we're leaving the lair" Panthro simply stated, as he scooped up the lioness into his arms. "Bring them to the hanger in fifteen minutes".
"Where are you taking them?" Pumyra asked as she followed behind with the IV in one hand and small oxygen tank in her other hand and other equipment flung over her arm and shoulder.
"We're going up to hook mountain, snowman knows we're on our way," Panthro said as he carried his wife to the hanger. In the lioness's dream like state, she heard a familiar deep voice, her nostrils picked up her panthers scent, "Pan?" She questioned groggily and lifted her head from his broad chest.
Panthro looked down at her and smiled, "hi baby, we're going on a little trip"
The lioness smiled and took a deep breath and let it out in a soft sigh, "ok" she said closing her eyes and nuzzled her face into his neck and went back to sleep. After packing up the medical supplies the panther took his family to hook mountain to the safety of the snow knight's home.
Cheetara watched her mate carefully, she had never seen him as angry as he was after Caiden told him about Meka and Lea's Father Rohan and all that they were up too. She was worried that Lion-O would strike them when they arrived.
"Lion-O, Please just calm down," the cheetah said trying to sooth her mate
The pacing lion stopped and whipped his head around, "Calm? You want me to be calm," He snarled his reply. "How do you expect me to be calm after what Lord Caiden told us, you heard the tape yourself Tara".
The cheetah took a deep breath and walked over to her mate and placed her hands on his broad chest, "I know," she said calmly running her hands over his twitching tense muscles, "but blowing up at him won't solve anything, you see where it got Panthro".
Lion-O sighed and ran his hand through his thick scarlet mane, "I thought this would all be over with when I announced the upcoming birth of our children, but noooooo, they just can't leave well enough alone," he growled and turned and let out a angry roar before slamming his fist into the lime stone wall, leave a huge chunk of stone missing from the wall.
Cheetara jumped at his display of violence, she had never known him to be the violent type and he hardly ever lost his temper, only under extreme circumstances and this was one of those circumstances, he felt his family was threatened. And it also angered him that Leanna had to give up her family just to appease Meka, "No.. This stops right now," Lion-O barked angrily.
"Getting angry won't help Lion-O," Cheetara said trying to make him se reason, "it will only make matters worse, and that's what he wants, he wants you to retaliate. You know he's just waiting for you to make one little slip up"
Lion-O sighed heavily "so what do you suggest I do?"
The cheetah smiled, "Kill him with kindness. When they arrive, show him what a gracious host you are, that will drive him crazy"
A large grin crossed the lion's lips, "See that's why I love you, alight I will keep myself in check..This time"
Cheetara stood on her tip toes and softly kissed her mate, "just until our cubs are born.. After I have our cubs in my arms you can toss his sorry hide in prison"
Leanna slowly woke up, her nose twitched as she realized this wasn't her room, the smell was different. She opened her eyes and looked around the room. Instead of the pale stone walls of cat's lair, there was soft brown wooden paneling. The bedding was different; the thick gold color comforter was replaced by thick soft furs. "Sele!" the lioness shouted half panicked.
The female snarf came running into the room, "What's wrong? You ok?"
"What's wrong?" the lioness said a bit annoyed, "where they hell am i?"
"Hook mountain," Sele answered.
The lioness sat up and just blinked, "hook.. wait?.. So i wasn't dreaming?...Panthro, is he still here?"
"Yes, he's with the cubs talking to the snowman" Sele answered.
"Good," Leanna said and got up out of the bed. She grabbed one of the smaller fur blankets and wrapped it around her shoulders and went in search of her mate.
Panthro and his two children sat with Caiden in the large parlour, a fire crackle in the fireplace as the snow knight told the two children a story.
He told them the tale of the Ice King, how after a thousand years sleep the King was awaken by some unknown source and began to attack the home of the snow knight. He and snow meow fought bravely, but he ice king was tricky, he froze the snow knight solid, and tried to freeze his faithful friend snow meow, but the snow cat's fur was to thick and he was able to get away.
"Where did he go?" Lila asked the snow knight.
The snow knight reached down and patted the snow cats head as he lay at his feet, "he did the only thing he could do, he went for help" the snow knight nodded. "Lord Lion-O came to help us, but even the mighty lord of the Thundercats was no match for the ice king," The snow knight said, "Lion-o ended up like me, frozen solid. I thought all was lost, the ice king was destroying my home and I couldn't do a thing to stop him, he had even caused the whole top of Snow Mountain to come off, snow covered everything from the home of the trollog and giantors, to the molemen. And the plains of fertility"
The snowman leaned ahead to make it more dramatic, he glanced at Panthro and winked then turned his attention back to the two children, "snowman thought all was lots, snowman's good friend Lion-O was frozen solid, snow meow tried to help, but the Ice king was too dangerous, so he ran to find the other Thundercats. I could hear the might roar of the ThunderTank as it came up the side of the mountain, I knew the others were coming, but "Snowman said raising his hand and pointing a finger, "would they also end up as their king and snowman?" he asked. The two cubs looked at each other then back at the snow knight.
"No," Kale spoke up.
"And young Kale you know this how?" the snow knight asked placing his hand on his knee and leaned ahead waiting for the young pantheon to answer.
Kale drew himself up and puffed out his small chest, "Because a ThunderCat never gives up"
Snowman slapped his knee and threw back his head and roared with laughter, "Panthro, your boy is a smart one and he is right"
Kale smiled at the snow knight's praise.
the snow knight continued his story, "the ThunderTank carrying Panthro, Tygra and Snarf arrived followed by the lovely cheetara, The Thundercats tried to defeat the ice king but he had turned and froze, Panthro, Tygra and Snarf solid.. Cheetara the quick one, placed the sword of omens in the Thundercats lord hand, the ice cracked and melted and freed Lion-O, Lord Lion-O's might battle cry freed the other Thundercats"
"And they beat the Ice King?" Lila asked.
"No, little one," The snow knight said shaking his head, "The Ice king was no longer interested in fighting, we didn't know it, but he was after something, something very special, the Thundercats and I helped him , there was a dragon guarding an egg, in a old dungeon under the castle , we helped him get the egg".
"What was in the egg?" Kale asked curiously
"Inside the egg, was a beautiful Princess, the Ice king was trying to find her and when he did, his soul merged with hers inside the egg," Snowman said, " and then the egg was lost for ever"
"That is quite the tale snowman," Caiden said with a slight chuckle.
"And every word of it is true, right Panthro?"
"It is," The panther nodded, "but you did leave out the part where Snarf did nothing but complain about the cold the whole time we were there," Panthro said with a jovial laugh.
"Best left for another time," the snow knight nodded then got to his feet, "I think your offspring would rather see something special," the snow knight smiled and nodded to the large white snow cat, which stood and walked over to the two children, "climb on his back and we will take you to see his cubs". The two children got o their feet and climb on snow meows back and they left the room.