So, this is the second chapter. Please review, I know that I make grammatical mistakes and I would love suggests. : )

Pairs of Eyes Full of Malice

Deep in the forest, hidden by evergreens and overhanging brush, there lay a cave with a solid oak door. The door was very small so that any creature over four feet would have to crouch to get in. The family that lived in this dwelling were not all small but wished to keep their presence unknown.

A couple named Ceival and Lok lived with their three seven year old cubs; Mieko, Mai and Merle. They were a mix of human species and had features of cats. Ceival and Lok had previously lived with others like them in a village called Kaylip when their town was caught between a human battle. Their land became a battlefield and their homes became a safety ground.

Many of the human beasts living in Kaylip were either pushed out or abused. Some joined in on the fighting while some worked to drive the humans out. Lok, being a trained warrior stood against them with ally warriors beside him. They used arrows to defend themselves. But they were no match for the bombs that were being fired at their families.

When the war was at its bloody height, a force of forty-five of the remaining warriors met at a meetinghouse to discuss a plan. Lok had gone up to the podium to suggest strategies when there was an eerie silence. The whole room drew quite as the beasts pricked up their keen ears to a noise they had come to fear. Lok formed the words, 'evacuate!' on his lips,but it was too late.

BOOM!

The other side of the room was blown to pieces in an ear splitting blow. It was all in a matter of seconds and most of the rooms occupants where screaming in pain. Lok stood the farthest from the bomb at the podium as he watched his friends fall to the floor in a mess of blood and fire.

'No, not this, this can't happen! Someone help us, please. NOOOOO!'

The mighty warrior fell to the ground with tears falling from his eyes and he was a defeated man.

There was nothing else that this race could hope for. The fathers of many children and the husbands of many wives's were killed that night. I guess you could say that Lok was lucky that he had stood at that podium and not along with his unfortunate comrades. But after seeing what he did, he was a changed man. He would go to bed some nights screaming, 'evacuate!' and, 'someone, help us, please!' Ceival would turn to his broad back and wrap her arms around his waist with a lovingly hand on his chest. She'd press her whole body against his until he would stop streaming. Until the echo of pain that came from his friends faded from Lok's ears and into the night sky.

Many of the villagers were killed and many homes were destroyed. When Ceival announced that she was pregnant, Lok feared that he was going to lose his family. He packed up what little they belonged and moved into the forest in search of a hidden place.

They found a cave and settled into what they now have to call home. Lok knew that as long as he bore the memory of his friends dieing a cruel and bloody death, nothing would be home.

Ceival and Lok put the past behind them when their children were born. They decided that this was most important thing to them now and that they would try to keep their children safe. Lok stopped crying out into the night in order to hear when the babies were crying; his daughters and sons had made him stronger.

Seven years have passed since that rainy day when three kittens were born. And lets look at their lives so far.

If you open the small door of this cave you would find that there was a small ledge that makes the space from the floor to the ceiling a lot higher then you would have guessed. The air inside smells of earth, leaves and wood. Many humans will never know that this race is very clean and keep their homes tidy and neat.

The cave had been dug into three rooms, the first consisted of a simple wooden frame to a bed with woven hay and grass placed on top, this was then covered with cotton and more grass to make a very comfortable bed. The second room was very small and provided storage for hunted game, berries and other foods. The third room was hidden from view and was below the ground. There was a small crawl space that the kittens could climb down into to their beds below. This served as a protection for them so intruders wouldn't be able to find the room easily.

This home was an overall cozy living place for the five members of the family.

On a particularly warm spring day, the three toddler cats were left in the house while their parents when to hunt game for the days meals. The kittens had not eaten yet were hungry,

"I'M SO HUNGRY, I'M GONNA DIE!" Merle shouted as loud as she could into the ear of her older sister.

"Ow, that hurt," Mai whimpered as she held her ear to her head.

Merle jumped in the air and strung her arms around Mai's neck and took a giant chomp onto her ear. Mai let out a shriek. Mieko, who was sitting is the corner whittling a figure out of wood, threw down his work and sat up.

"Merle, what did mom say about shouting in peoples ears? And Mai's ears will start bleeding again if you don't stop biting them!"

Merle removed herself from her sister neck and kneeled on the ground quietly. Mieko was the only person that could tell her what to do.

"Sorry Eko, I didn't know I was being so loud."

"Well, if you were sorry, you wouldn't have done it now, would you"

Merle frowned and looked at her feet. Mieko couldn't help but smile, he put a hand that was too big in proportion to his body onto her head an tousled her hair,

"It's okay Merle, if you want to say sorry, say sorry to Mai."

Merle sprung to her feet and planted a big hug on her distressed sister and squeezed. Just then Lok and Ceival returned. Thrown over Lok's shoulders was a small buck with an arrow wound at its' side and a container of water from a rivulet near by. Ceival was holding two fish and a basket of berries.

"Hello children, did you all behave well?" said Ceival giving a sideward glance at Merle.

Mai stood up and buried her face into her mothers dress. Mieko walked up to his dad and helped him store the food in the small room and Merle sat on the floor steaming,

"It's always me, isn't it?"

Soon the family all sat down to eat a breakfast of cooked fish and berries, and when they were finished, they all went for a walk.

Petals fell from the trees that guarded both sides of the path like rain. The floor was littered with white flowers and a smell of fresh and renewed spring traveled with them. Merle spun and stuck her nose in the air as a petals fell on her check,

"Ahhh-chu!" she sneezed and giggled. She climbed the nearest tree and shook the branches so that a new rain of white was thrown onto her family below. Mai cupped her hands to together as she tried to catch the falling snow. Mieko was on Lok's shoulders as he reached for his sister. They continued towards a field with sloping hills and tall wild grass. The sweet wind sent ripples through the sea of green. Ceival and Lok lay in the grass together while the Merle hid and jumped on her siblings.

Mieko and Merle made a game of this. One would press their bodies to the ground and creep through the grass. They'd jump and roll and chase each other between the mingled blades. Mai followed her brother and sister like a baby chick who couldn't keep up; she stumbled and trotted her way. Her foot got caught on a log and she tripped and felt flat on her face and let out a cry.

"OW! Mmmmerle…Mmmeikooo…wait, wait…fffor meee!" she said between sobs.

Merle and Mieko turned back for their sister and Mieko picked her up,

"It's okay Mai, we're here now, don't cry." She continued to cry.

"Look sis, brother said we are here so stop your crying. I know you can stand tall!" And Merle forced her sister to her feet and onto her shoulders. Mai stopped crying as she looked at her feisty sister with wonderment. Merle was the only one who could stop her from crying.

The three walked back to where their parents lay. They all napped side-by- side in a pleasant peace because they were alone together. But were they alone?

Pairs of eyes full of malice watched the family sleep in field. And as the owners of those eyes crouched in the grass, they thought to themselves,

"You can run, but you cannot hide."

Thank you for reading; I promise the next chapter will be more eventful. –FT