Part X

Stirring Hearts

A year later

Gusto and Jasmine had arrived with their twins Marli and Kitti and sat with the Glens in the Great Hall. Jasmine had disappeared shortly after they'd arrived to help Grammi deliver Taffi's cub. She still found it surprising that Taffi and Gruffi had gotten together and now they were having cubs.

After fours hours labour the cub was finally born and Taffi received him even though she was covered in sweat and completely exhausted. She nursed the small bundle in her arms noticing how much he looked like his father until she felt her mates arm around her. She looked up and gave a weary smile then slowly turned and placed the cub in his arms.

Gruffi didn't know exactly what to do with the small cub and held it gently and carefully in his arms and treated it like glass. He looked down at the cub in his arms it squirmed and he smiled. His pride and joy lay in his arms, his cub, his son, his Aremi.

Grammi and Jasmine looked on at the scene smiling they'd expected him to be a bit unsure of himself, but he was doing a lot better than what they thought he would. They crept out leaving Taffi to rest and guessed that Gruffi would probably be a while.

Everyone jumped up when Grammi and Jasmine entered wanting to know if everything had gone all right. After many questions the gummi's left feeling very happy and Jasmine walked over to Gusto and took Kitti from him.

Her fur was a shade lighter pink than her mothers' making it almost white and her brother Marli's was a light blue. Both cubs had midnight blue eyes and blue hair although Kitti's was so light it was white in places making it look like she had white hair with blue highlights. Both cubs were now three months old and loved coming over to the Glen.

Marli lay sleeping in his fathers' arms quietly slurping on his finger while Kitti squirmed around in her mothers.

All was well in the Glen, Alarna had made no appearances and they had been blessed with peace and now there clan was growing, Cubbi seemed pleased to have cubs younger than himself and the promise of new playmates, and Sunni had taken a particular interest in Kitti and had bonded well with the young cub.

Kitti tugged on Jasmine's front and opened her eyes to her mothers' midnight gaze and gurgled happily. Times like this made Jasmine realise she had a strong bond with her daughter and something different from her son Marli. That is not to say she loved her son any less, but she felt something different with Kitti, she had mentioned as much to Gusto who decided it must be something about her having her own daughter to raise and being a mother, when her's was taken so young. She had considered that and not dwelt on it much after, but over the last month she realised whenever Kitti was near her she felt a stirring in her heart and not just that of a mother and her cub, she felt that something was wrong and was just between the two of them, but couldn't decide what and it made her uneasy, but when Kitti was nestled near her things didn't seem so bad.

Frustrated cries reached her ears and Jasmine looked over at Gusto to find her son awake and wriggling about, he could always be relied upon to tell her when feeding time was. Taking him from his father's arms she secured him in her arms and carried him and Kitti off down the hall leaving Gusto in the Hall with the remaining Glens.

Grammi sat in a chair by a low fire knitting, she was happy to have more young cubs to help look after and never grew tired of helping out which Jasmine was forever grateful for, sometimes the twins could be a handful. And even Zummi didn't mind being around and cub-sitting occasionally he was just as glad to have new cubs in the clan; the future of their clan was now assured with the recent birth of cubs.

Cubbi and Sunni were out visiting at the castle, in recent months since the births of the new cubs they had not much time for their human friends and decided a visit was long overdue, though they would be happy when they returned to find a new member of the family.

Jasmine sat in her room nursing the cubs when she heard the door from the next room open and close softly and smiled. Taffi would be asleep now with her son curled up beside her in his cot, hand made by his father. When Taffi woke up she would go and see her, she was curious to see what her adopted nephew was like. She felt the twins settle themselves and looked down to see them wearing contented smiles and sleeping peacefully and she returned the smile, full of warmth at her young cubs as she lay them down in their own cots.

Today had been an exhausting but gratifying day for all of them and as evening drew in outside she yawned and gazed down on her cubs once more before departing the room and leaving them to their slumber. Standing in the hall she could hear pots clashing around and a tasteful aroma drifting its way toward her and knew that Grammi must be almost finished making dinner by now, which meant the older cubs should be returning soon. As she thought that she heard the creaking of a door sound and cool draft and knew it to be them which was moments later confirmed by their barrage of questions as they knew their newest member had arrived. It was nice Jasmine concluded to be part of a family again and not have to constantly be on the move and always worrying. Her only concerns now were that her family was kept safe and away from Alarna and her minions. Her goals set and her heart content she made her way into the main hall where dinner was being served.

Unknown to them however, was a thin blue mist covering the land causing anyone who breathed it to feel tired and sleepy. Only a few years since their last visit to the living plane but Gummadoon had once more returned the proud and majestic structure un-weathered as it had always been. Old magic's have these gummies and thus went undetected over Alarna's careful gaze upon the one she sought. These gummies could be counted upon to help others in need and their return was no accident, but they had detected a stirring in their hearts and knew now was the time to return for good, but to what end only Jasmine could decide.

TBC…

Ta da, its here it really is and what's more its here to stay. Yes, I can now promise that updates will be decidedly more regular and you should expect the next chappie to follow shortly. However, at certain times in the year i.e. Christmas etc updates will be slower cos I have to do revision. See ya and Please R & R!