{Night 04: Enter the White Tiger}

I froze upon hearing a mewl.

Stopping, I stood up and looked around.

I was in the middle of catching crawfish for supper, kicking up the sand to scare them into my hands. I was in the shallows only, so I'd just rolled up my pants and left my sandals on as I searched. The mewl had surprised me into stopping, the bucket I held slipping a bit in my grip.

Looking around, I hummed.

Another mewl reached me, and I took one sloshing step in the direction of the noise.

"Oi, don't stop talking! Where are you?!" I half-yelled when I wasn't given anything else to go off of. Another soft whimper altered my direction and had me splashing towards the shore.

"Ow! Fuck!" I yelled as I stubbed my toe on something hidden in the water.

Almost directly below me, scrabbling and pathetic whimpers sounded.

I ran out of the water, set my bucket down and covered it so birds wouldn't be tempted by my catch, and dove back into the water. Eyes slid halfway-shut so the water didn't bug me, I quickly found what I'd kicked.

It was a box. About two feet by two feet by two feet. Half-buried in the sand, half-covered in junk. And from the cries coming from it, there was something inside it!

I began tearing away the junk covering the box, doing my best to free it. Debris flew up into the water, murkying it and decreasing visibility. I did my best to ignore that, scrabbling at the crate until it was loose enough I could drag it into the more shallow waters. Once the top was above the salty water, I began trying to pry it open. All I succeeded in doing was creating a stinging gash on my hand from dragging it across a nail sticking out of the box.

"Oh, fuckit! Wait right there a minute!" I yelled at whatever was in the box. It made a squawking noise, accompanied by more scrabbling from inside.

I sloshed back to the shore. Casting about, I found a rock of suitable size. I grabbed it and ran back to the box surrounded by swirling muck. "Hold on! I'll get you out!" I yelled, raising the rock over my head. There was a shocked yelp from inside the crate as I bashed the rock against the corner. The wet wood splintered a bit, so I raised the rock up again, grunting with the effort.

After three or four blows, I'd created a hole in the box. I threw the rock aside, creating a loud, sucking splash. I was beginning to pant with the excitement, hardly noticing the chill starting to set into my skin as I reached to tear more of the box away. But as I reached my hand into the box, something sank claws into me.

"Ow! Fuck, you little shit!" I yelled at the thing angrily. Now both my hands were bleeding.

A little ticked off, I roared, earning a terrified scream and fearful scrabbling. I tore at the box, hurting my hands more and more.

... It was a cat...?

It hissed at me, trying it's hardest to puff it's sodden fur up.

"Oh, shut it! I'm all bloody and shit because of you, sonovabitch!"

But it wouldn't let me touch it.

Snarling, I kicked off my sandals, took off my pants, and threw them over it. I was aware that this left me ass-naked, but hell if I cared! Shocked, the cat squawked, and I was able to grab the thing. Huffing, I ran out of the water and began to head for home. I needed to get this sorry furball to Master Alban, or Zaria at the least. If it was hurt, they could help it.

A few people laughed or hooted at me as I ran into the village, but I ignored them, thumping barefoot through the dusty streets towards Alban's hut.

"Quack!" I yelled, bursting into his house.

"I've already seen you naked one too many times, brat!" he snapped, making Zaria and Hassan giggle from next to the little fire-pit they were at. I noticed Chaya was also here, but ignored my friends for the time being.

I thrust the struggling, black-wrapped bundle at the old magician. "I dunno if it's hurt or sick, I found it in a box in the water! C'mon, help it!" I urged.

"Wha...?"

The cat finally poked it's head out of my pants, crying pitifully.

"A snow-sabre cub? What in the bloody blazes is one of those doin' out here?!" Master Alban demanded, snatching both my find and my pants away from me.

"A snow-sabre? Aren't they the really big mountain-cats?" Chaya asked curiously, her voice musical and lilting.

"Yes. Now Mal, go put some bloody pants on and lemme comfort this poor bastard!"

"You're holding my pants! And what's wrong? Am I not," I demanded, striking a sassy pose, "Sexy enough for you?"

Zaria burst out laughing, rolling around on the floor, and Hassan and Chaya hurried to stifle their snorts as Master Alban threw a dirt-clod after me as I ran out.

I hadn't gone far before I remembered that I'd left the bucket of crawfish for supper at the beach along with my sandals.