Chapter 23. New Blood
Shadow cooled down after his talk with the female. No longer did he fuss with the other males as he claimed her cave as their own. There was no other takers for it. He went about his work as usual and brought home a fresh Eloi for the both of them. The female sat back in the cave to wait for him to eat first.
"Come join me." He groaned in a tender way to show his soft side to her.
"I'm waiting till you finish." She answered, her baby crawling around in her lap.
"Why? Is this another one of your traditions?"
She nodded. "Yes and right now I prefer no more to be changed thank you. I am still trying to get over the first one."
"Alright then." He left he some of the best parts and had his equal share of the meal. After he was stuffed he lapped up the blood from the floor and off his fingers. Nerok paddled forward and tested some of the blood himself, licking it he searched for more. Fidget lurched forward and claimed the rest for herself. She noticed he didn't devour all of the good cuts. She figured it was his generosity again. Such a gentle disposition for such a huge male.
Shadow rested on the sheets they usually slept on and fanned out his arms. She looked over her shoulder and snarled at him.
"Always hogging the comfy sheets. Always, always."
"I'll scoot over when you're done." He smiled, she didn't seem to have any qualms with sharing her bed with him. She just kept a gap between them with her baby on the safer side. He felt like being close to this female. It would take awhile for her to warm up to his feelings.
She still was a very tense female, probably one of the most aggressive he has seen himself. There was not a moment he noticed when she was relaxed, always on her toes. After living here for almost a year he could understand. He had changed drastically himself. You had to be very nasty and tough to make a living here.
"Has anybody ever told you how beautiful you are?" He flirted, folding his arms under his head.
"Hmm well my mate a few times had and so have a few males courting me." She answered flatly, not buying into his game.
He got up and ambled close to her, wanting to show her what a hug was. She spun around with legs stiff and growled.
"Calm down sweetie. Look at you." He spoke calmly, grasping her outstretched hands and wrapping his fingers around hers. "So wound up."
"I have my reasons to be." She eyed him warily.
"No you don't. Not anymore if you had to in the past." He lowered her hands and brought his face closer to hers, licking her cheek.
"You are asking what I think you are." She looked down at her baby.
"Only if you want to of course. I am in no rush. That's if you want me for a mate." He went back to his sleeping place.
"Well I still have to make sure you are a decent mate." She decided and took her place beside him.
Shadow rolled over, facing the wall. Nerok demanded to sleep on top of his mother's chest instead of beside her. From here he felt he had a great view of everything inside the cave. He was on top of the world. He puffed out his chest and his body hair, making his mother laugh.
What is left of Fere's colony…
Several of the members dug temporary holes into the sides of the hills and cliff sides where there was ample amounts of soft dirt. As the sun's rays began to fill the sky they dug as desperately fast as their claws could handle. Some wore their nails down the nubs, proving them useless for future digs.
The Morlocks stuffed themselves into these holes. Tense and sweaty bodies not used to being so close to each other. Lone females snapped at bachelor males that tried to take advantage of the little room.
"We must keep to ourselves and stop this chaos." Fere huffed at the others. She had her body completely smashed against Fown's. Not something she minded too much. Mog kept Shikha and his daughter protected in his clasps.
It seemed forever till the daylight would leave the sky to the Morlocks once again. When the members closest to the outside tested for the light they only found the dark blue sky. The numbers rushed out like a stampede. The fresh air felt so cool from all the body heat formed down below. It was like being at a rock concert. Being smashed together with people whom you didn't know too well.
Favul was growing weak from the intense body heat. Mog dipped her in a nearby pond to cool her temp down. Shikha felt it was a good idea and did the same too.
"Well lets keep going now." Fere called out to the others to move on. A few refused, feeling this was as far as they were going to go but being a pack animal they soon gave up and followed too.
Up above the invisible storm clouds announced their arrival with clapping rumbles. The children whimpered and hid themselves under their parents as best as they could.
Mog drifted off to the outskirts of the colony and detected an odd scent. The moldy, wet smells of a cave. He bellowed out to the others. Up ahead was the hidden remains of a cave. It towered above them at a good twenty foot. At some point in time it had partially collapsed. The Morlocks followed through the tight maze of crumbled rocks. Old bones of ancient Morlocks were strewn around.
"Time Traveler did this!" One cried out loud.
"No this is much older." Fere corrected, keeping Shikha close by.
Rusted fragments of machinery colored the walls red. Here the colony rested. There was enough room to spread out. Here partners kept together and the single ones kept themselves apart. The females had enough of their counterparts taunting them.
Mog and his family sat close by to Fere and Fown. The old male grumbled, throwing a tantrum.
"It's been nearly a week now! I haven't had a thing to eat." He kept his gaze low from Mog's, knowing better then to even throw Shikha a glance unless he wanted to have his tusks knocked out of him.
"Well it will have to wait." Fere rubbed his shoulder. "We will find food."
"There isn't a whiff of another colony anywhere! How are there going to be Eloi?" Fown continued to argue. "We will end up starving!"
"Perhaps there might be some wild Eloi. I heard it is possible." Fere tried to keep her mate as relaxed as possible. He never was too good with changes. Just too old and set in his ways. Now meeting the Traveler his third time put him through.
"If they are wild then they can take care of themselves. They might be dangerous." Fown rolled in Fere's lap for a head scratch.
"Don't be such a doomsayer." Fere pulled on his hair.
Shikha decided to spend the time to explore. She left Favul in Mog's lap and said she had to go pee. He told her to be careful. She climbed over to the back of the cave. The cavern led in deep and straight on. She probably had been walking for close to an hour now. Dusty bones and skulls darted the floor here and there around her feet. She felt a warm draft blowing towards her. A small light shown from one side of the splitting cavern. She emerged on the other side. It was the moon reflecting it's light off the shiny crystals in the rocks.
Mog followed behind her a mile well behind. Her scent trail led him very far into the cave. So much for taking a bathroom break. He griped to himself, almost running into his own mate who was heading back.
"Oh Mog you should see this place!" She grabbed his hand.
"We should really head back. All these bones give me the willies." He kept a good ear for any sounds of another predator that might be stalking them.
"Please just look." She headed back in the other direction, knowing he would follow.
"I don't see anything interesting." Mog gazed at the scenery around him. Then something caught his eyes that Shikha couldn't see. Some strange animal stood close by underneath a low tree. It was not a man nor a Morlock or an Eloi but something totally out of the ordinary. It stood on four legs with a longish neck. Large ears flickered back and forth on it's long-faced head. It was only about two feet tall at the shoulder but plump.
"What is that thing?" Mog's eyes widened, sniffing the air to catch on this animal's scent. It smelled of plants and fruits, not of meat like the other Morlocks.
"Is it another creature?" Shikha hid behind him.
"Yes! We should go check it out." He stalked the animal. The odd creature only stared back at him. It didn't run away from it as it had never needed to fear predators. The animals have never seen Morlocks as their patch of land was well-hidden from outside predators. The herbivore was probably descended from some type of small deer that had managed to survive man's destruction on the world. The smell of it triggered the predatory senses inside Mog. Once he got close enough he latched his arms around the animal and dug his claws into it's side.
The creature made a low mooing sound then fell silent when he sunk his teeth into it's neck. This was a harder kill then normal Eloi but the blood tasted so good! He gorged himself on the meat. A few more of these creatures watched him. They flipped their ears about, listening to the calls of their own kind.
The meat was very tasty to Mog. He found it less gamey and more filling then Eloi meat. It was tougher but very juicy. He dug his claws into the ribs and feasted on the large liver and heart.
Shikha for once felt better being around him when he ate. Her heart soared with happiness. Now Mog didn't have to feast on Eloi anymore!
The both of them headed back as quickly as possible with the remains of the creature. Mog could hardly contain himself. He and his mate have saved the colony!
"Where have you been? Your poor daughter was missing you." Fere reprimanded them.
"Look what we have found!" Mog just shrieked, holding up the creature.
"Eloi?" The others craned their heads around.
"No! Some other animals that we can eat! They taste even better then Eloi and there is plenty! Plus they don't run away!" Mog was like a hyper child on candy, he danced around, dropping pieces of flesh and dripping blood everywhere.
The Morlocks gathered around him and picked at what was left of the carcass. It was very good and many of them were now craving food badly.
"Where did you find this animal?" Fere tasted some of the flesh herself. "It is very delicious."
The entire colony followed down deeper into the cave, led by Mog and Shikha. The Morlocks hunted as many of the creatures as they could feast on. There were thousands of these animals that swarmed the land. Plenty of meat to go around for them.
Being used to eating underground the Morlocks dragged their prey back into the cavern to eat. Peace was restored and the stuffed Morlocks rested with large stomachs.
Fere nodded in praise to the pair that found this fantastic discovery.
"Maybe now the Time Traveler will leave us alone. We don't have to hunt Eloi no more." Mog dug the red marrow out of a femur bone with a finger.
"That is it!" Fere jumped back up again. "One of us should go back and show him these creatures!"
"I should then." Shikha offered. "I am an Eloi after all."
"Wouldn't the meat rot by the time we get there?" Mog glowered at the fresh bones.
"We could always take a few of the bones like the skull and such." Shikha said.
"Or perhaps just carry a live animal there?" Fere untied a leather rope from around her waist. "I used to use this to lead the Eloi males around or to just tie them up to keep from trouble. Since these animals are so tame you should have no trouble."
"Alright then. We should go fetch one of those muumoo's " Mog called them. "Since they do make those noises."
"I agree we should call them that. Muumoo's!" Shikha laughed.