*How Rayna Got Marked*
On a hot summer day in the jungle, 7-year-old Rayna followed her fellow wolves out of their home. They were running through the jungle to look for a river to cool off. Rayna was trying to keep up with the wolves, but she wasn't as fast as them. She still had a lot to learn at her age. Rayna had trouble with lessons with her adopted family.
"C'mon, little sis!" Grey called as he stopped to face her. Rayna caught up with him and she climbed on his back for a ride. "Wanna race?" Grey asked as he began to run. Rayna laughed as she held onto his fur. They caught up with their brothers. "Hey guys! We're winning!"
"Haha! Look out, guys! Coming through!" Rayna laughed.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Scout shouted.
"Ugh! Must we always bring that girl-cub everywhere we go?" Onyx asked.
"Our parents adopted her, remember?" Roan reminded the brothers. "Let's just do our own thing while Grey is giving that kid attention." They continue to run to catch up with the pack.
Rama and Raksha stood by the river with Akela and the few wolves with their cubs. Their ears perk up when they hear Rayna's voice. The little girl ran as fast as she could and saw a river ahead of her. She let out a yell and made a jump. Rayna made a splash and went below the water and see some fish quickly swim away from him. Rama walked on the log as a bridge and wondered where his daughter is. Rayna popped her head out of the water and looked up at him.
"Hi father!" She spoke.
"Rayna, be careful! Not all rivers are deep." Rama told her.
"This part is deep!" Rayna replied. "I'm okay!"
"Remember the swimming lessons, Rayna. And don't stray from us." The father wolf said with a small smile. Rayna nodded and began to float on her back, kicking her feet to splash around. The wolves were taking a drink from the river as Rayna was swimming around, enjoying herself to cool off on a hot day. Rayna looked up at the trees with a smile.
"Hey Rayna, when you're done, you wanna come with us to practice hunting?" Grey asked. Scout rolled his eyes.
"You gotta be kidding." He muttered.
"Boys, Rayna is your sister. She is welcome to go with you." Raksha said to her sons who didn't want anything to do with Rayna at all. Rayna shook droplets of water from her head, giggling. She got out of the river to meet up with her brothers and parents. "Rayna, if you wish to go with your brothers and watch them hunt, stay close to them." Raksha said.
"Yes mother." Rayna replied with a nod.
"If any of you see anything dangerous, howl." Rama told them. "Come back to us as soon as you can. Or we will come to you."
"Keep an eye on the girl-cub." Akela spoke from the side.
"We'll watch her like a hawk." Grey told his family and the wolf leader. He turned to Rayna. "Stay close to me, little sis."
"I will, brother." Rayna said as she climbed on his back. The five left the river to head across to explore the jungle. Raksha frowned a little, worried about her daughter. She trusts her sons, but she couldn't help to feel something could go wrong.
"What's wrong, love?" Rama asked.
"Maybe Rayna shouldn't be with them. She's not a hunter yet. She could get hurt." Raksha replied.
"Raksha, our daughter will be safe with our sons. Grey will watch her. And they know the rules if they spot danger. Rayna will be a fine wolf someday." Rama said, placing his paw over his mate's. Raksha smiled a bit. "Feels like just yesterday we brought her in. She was a small little thing. Lost and scared." Rama said as he remembered 5 years ago when Bagheera brought Rayna to their den and the pack took her in. They wouldn't allow Shere Khan to have his claws on her after what he had done to her parents. The tiger wasn't seen at their part of the jungle since that night.
XX
Rayna got on fours as she peeked through the tall grass with Grey as they spotted a rabbit. Grey leaped out of the grass to catch the rabbit, but the rabbit reacted quickly and sprinted away. Grey growled a bit.
"I missed! Stupid rabbit..."
"Grey, look!" Rayna said pointing across the river. Grey turned to see another rabbit. It was black. Rayna crawled quietly to get a better look at it. Grey stared at the rabbit in awe.
"Wow. It's a rare black rabbit." He whispered. "I'm gonna get that! Rayna, stay low and silent. I'm gonna catch that rabbit. Our brothers will be so jealous."
"Jealous of what?" Scout spoke. Grey and Rayna turned to see their brothers behind them. Onyx caught a scent of the rabbit.
"Well, what do you know? A black rabbit." He said.
"Hmm. One of us will be lucky to catch it." Roan spoke.
"Hey...instead of us, why not give Rayna a shot?" Scout asked with a smirk. Rayna looked up at him in shock.
"Rayna won't catch it." Roan said with a look.
"Rabbits are too fast." Onyx reminded Scout.
"But how is she gonna be a fine wolf if she doesn't know how to hunt?" Scout asked. Rayna looked at the black rabbit in silent. "If you catch that rabbit, you will be the greatest hunter, girl-cub. Black rabbits are rare and will bring luck to the pack. Would you make Akela proud?"
"Scout, what're you trying to do?" Grey growled.
"What if I can't catch it?" Rayna asked.
"Then you let the pack down." Scout said. Rayna made a look of determination. She quietly climbed up a tree with some vines. Scout chuckled a bit. Grey watched with worry. Rayna can't catch a rabbit.
"Rayna, don't listen to Scout! You don't need to do this!" Grey said. But Rayna refused to listen. She grabbed a vine and swing down to get across the river. The black rabbit sensed her and sprint away before she could grab it. Rayna began to chase the rabbit. Grey gasped. "Rayna! Wait! You can't go out there alone!" He hurried across to bring Rayna back. Scout, Roan, and Onyx laughed at this.
"I swear, that girl-cub is dumb!" Scout chuckled.
"Does she really think she could catch the rabbit by herself?" Roan asked.
"Not a chance." Onyx replied.
XX
Rayna followed the black rabbit deep into the jungle. Grey caught up with her and used his mouth to grab her dress. Rayna gasped and almost fell forward. The black rabbit is gone. Rayna groaned.
"Grey, I was gonna catch it." She said.
"You don't need to. Scout is gonna get us into trouble." Grey told her. "Let's head back."
"Leaving so soon?" A voice spoke. Grey's hair stood as he caught a whiff of a scent. He growled. Rayna turned to see a pair of yellow eyes in the shadows. She gasped as Shere Khan appeared. He let out a chuckle. "Good afternoon. You've wandered too far from the pack, I see." He said, circling around the two. Grey turned to see Tabaqui appeared. The striped hyena giggled as he began to drool.
"Shere Khan. You know you aren't welcome at this part of the jungle. This is wolves' hunting grounds!" Grey said, protecting Rayna from the tiger and a hyena.
"But I couldn't help but to pick up the girl-cub's scent." Shere Khan replied, eyeing on Rayna who glared back at him, trying to look brave. "And could it be possible that she does not know who I am?"
"I know who you are." Rayna spoke. "You're Shere Khan. The one who hunts or pleasure, not for survival."
"Precisely. And you're the one who got away. Man or their cubs don't belong in this jungle." Shere Khan sneered at her. "Now that you are here...time to finish what I've started." Grey's eyes widen before he let out a howl to call for help.
"Oh no. The wolves are coming!" Tabaqui said.
"Rayna, run!" Grey said as he blocked the tiger from attacking. Rayna turned away to run. Shere Khan roared and smack the wolf away.
"Tabaqui, you take care of this pest! The girl-cub is mine!" He said, chasing after Rayna.
Rayna started to climb a tree to avoid the ferocious tiger. Her heart is beating like a jackhammer. She's never been this scared before. Rayna climbed on the branch to look down to see Shere Khan roaring up at her, clawing on the tree. He tried to climb up, but then he hears a roar behind him. He turned to see Bagheera lunge at him.
"Bagheera!" Rayna cried happily. Bagheera smacks Shere Khan in the face, leaving a scratch. Shere Khan hissed at the panther.
"You'll regret that, old friend."
"Leave, Khan! The wolves are on their way! You are no match against all of us!" Bagheera told the tiger. Rayna tried to move, but the tree branch snapped, and she fell on the jungle floor. Bagheera gasped. "Rayna!" Shere Khan hears howls drawing close. He brought his paw down on Rayna's chest to pin her. The girl whimpered a little. "Shere Khan! Let her go! She's just a cub!" Bagheera pleaded.
"A cub who will grow into a hunter to kill us!" Shere Khan said, staring into Rayna's eyes.
"Khan!" Rama yelled as he and Akela arrived along with Grey. "Release Rayna, now!"
"Rayna." Shere Khan smirked. "She was given a name. How droll." Tabaqui ran past the wolves and stood across from Shere Khan.
"Boss, we're outnumbered!" He told him. "More will be coming!"
"Silence, Tabaqui. I am no fool." Shere Khan growled. Rayna tried to get his paw off her chest. Shere Khan looked down at the helpless girl. "I may let you run, and I may let you hide, but I will find you, girl-cub. Consider yourself lucky today. Next time we meet, it will be your last. For now...this will make you remember." Shere Khan got his claws out and brought his paw up. Rayna's eyes widen at this.
"No!" Bagheera shouted. But it was too late. Shere Khan brought his paw down and swiped Rayna's face, causing her to scream in agony.
Raksha and her sons followed the sounds and see Akela and Rama return with Grey. Raksha noticed Bagheera is not far behind them as Rayna is on his back, holding her eye, crying.
"What happened?" Onyx asked.
"Shere Khan." Akela spoke. "He...attacked Rayna. Leaving her a mark." Raksha hurried over to Bagheera and Rayna. The girl removed her hand to reveal fresh marks over her eye. The mother wolf gasped. Grey and his brothers cringed at this.
"Well...she will be having those scars for a long time." Roan said.
"Rayna, are you okay?" Raksha asked as Rayna got off of Bagheera's back. Rayna shook her head in response. Rama walked over to the girl and licked her wounds over her eye. "Oh, you poor thing." Raksha said with worry.
"It really hurts..." Rayna sobbed.
"That Shere Khan." Akela growled.
"Why did he do it?" Rayna asked.
"Never mind that, Rayna." Rama said as he licked her wounds.
"Let us return to the den." Akela said. The wolves followed him. Bagheera stayed with Rayna and her wolf family. He couldn't believe he had to witness what Shere Khan had done to Rayna. That was low. Shere Khan marks animals to make them learn their place. But doing that to Rayna, is another story. She is marked for a reason. She will be hunted down once Shere Khan has found her.
After the wolves have returned to the den, Rayna sat quietly in hers. The pain won't go away for some time. The scars will remain on her face forever. Rayna felt weak and helpless. Shere Khan wasn't playing games. He hates man. Rayna had been told about him while she was growing up and didn't think that Shere Khan would try to kill her today. One of these days he will. But he won't. Rayna will grow strong and face the tiger herself when the time is right.