Barks and growls could be heard in a clearing of a rain forest. This part of the rain forest belonged to a romp of giant river otters.
“Come on Fish splash!” squealed a light-brown kit otter. Fish splash, another young kit otter struggled to catch up with the other otter.
“Wait up Moon glow!” she barked, she stopped and tried to catch her breath and waited for him. Moon glow sighed and rolled his eyes but stopped. Fish splash finally caught up to him, she glared at him angrily.
“I’m telling mother you were going to leave me!” she growled angrily. If you looked closely you could tell they were almost the same size and were similar in a way that would make you guess their littermates. But the difference is that Moon glow was more muscular, and broad, whereas Fish splash was sleek-furred, and slender. Moon glow glared at Fish splash and bared his teeth.
“It’s not my fault you’re too small and too slow to catch up to me.” he said harshly. Fish splash snarled and almost attacked her littermate but was interrupted by a bark. She looked up at froze, Asmryenth, their mother, was standing in front of them and she didn’t look very happy. Moon glow lowered his ears.
“So… Tumble claws tell me you guys have been disturbing the whole romp with your pointless arguing.” She hissed angrily. Moon glow and Fish splash crouched, lowering their heads in shame.
“We’re sorry mother.” murmured Moon glow. Wimp. thought Fish splash angrily.
“But mother…..” she was interrupted by her mother’s snarling.
“Silence, Fish splash!” Fish splash flinched and looked down. A loud hiss caused them to jump, Asmryenth whirled around and screeched when she saw the huge, hungry-looking crocodile staring at them. The crocodile lunged, snapping its jaws at Asmryenth. It nearly missed her, Asmryenth snarled and swiped her claws at the crocs sensitive muzzle causing it to hiss in pain. The croc swung his head into Asmryenth’s side making her fly backwards in front of her pups. They squealed and nudged their mother, Asmryenth jumped up and growled threatingly at the croc. The croc laughed and spoke.
“Do you really believe you can defeat me again otter?”It said in a deep voice, the croc smiled eerily. Asmryenth glared at the croc angrily and rage filled her face as she realized who he was.
“Oss! You took my pups but not again, never again!” she screeched flying at Oss, her claws gleaming in the sun.
“Come on Fish splash! We have to get the romp.” Squealed Moon glow, he pushed his sister away from his mother and the croc. Fish splash screamed and fought him.
“No! We can’t leave mother.” She screeched trying to run back to her mother. “She would want us to get the romp Fish.” said Moon glow softly. Fish splash looked desperately at her mother, then she looked at him, finally she hesitantly turned to face her brother. Satisfied, Moon glow ran to the edge of the river by the forest clearing and jumped in the water. Fish splash followed him. They swam to the other side and ran to a clearing covered in bushes and brambles; they moved the brambles aside and slipped into an entrance. They ran swiftly through a tunnel that leads into a large clearing filled with otters.
“Tumble claws! Bark tail!” yowled Moon glow as he barreled into the clearing, followed by Fish splash. A large mottled male-otter turned to look at the pups, he grimaced in anger, and he stalked over to them.
“What do you want and why are you out of camp!?!” Bark tail hissed. Moon glow glared at him, but was interrupted by Fish splash, who let out a wail. “Asmryenth is getting attacked by a croc!” she screeched. Bark tail gasped and turned to the rest of the romp.
“Jade fur, Bush pelt, come with me!” the two otters nodded and ran out of the camp with Bark tail. Fish splash followed them but was stopped by a large otter. Fish splash tried to get past but the otter wouldn’t budge.
“Tumble claws, please let me go!” wailed Fish splash. Tumble claws looked at her sadly, he sighed “I’m sorry Fish splash, but you’re just too young and we can’t afford to lose you.” He said softly to her. Fish splash burst into tears and ran away to the romp nursery. Tumble claws lowered his head sadly; he hoped they would save Asmryenth. He had always loved her, he remembered the day he was made leader after the previous leader Amazon call, was killed in a attack by another romp. He had looked for her after the ceremony, hoping she would become his mate. But was only given heartbreak when she announced her and Mud bark were mates and looked at him with acceptance and affection that Tumble claws wanted her to give him. After all those shades he had forgiven her but still loved her in his heart. A bark call was uttered and Tumble claws flinched and looked up to see the patrol carrying Asmryenth’s limp body, he gasped and ran over to them. But was pushed aside by Mud bark as he ran to his mate. He wailed and buried his nose in her fur. A pretty light-brown otter stepped out of her burrow and ran over to them, she squeaked in horror as she looked at Asmryenth’s limp body. She touched her nose to her chest and then slowly pulled away, she looked up as Mud bark waited for her answer. She shook her head sadly, Mud bark made a choke-gasping sound in his throat and threw back his head and wailed in grief. Tumble claws closed his eyes and lowered his head sadly; he pushed his nose into Asmryenth already-cold fur. Good bye my love. He said in his mind. A soft pelt brushed his and he looked up to see Limber stone looking at him sadly. “I know it hurts.” she whispered loud enough for only him to hear. Tumble claws sighed and padded to a fallen-tree; he barked a call and waited for the romp to gather around.
“My friends… with a heavy heart I say, that sadly our friend Asmryenth has joined the otters in the stars.” he said somberly. The romp gasped, some wailed in grief and some just lowered their heads in sadness. Breeze whisper, Asmryenth’s sister just buried her head into Mud bark’s fur. Four wails were heard as Asmryenth’s pups left the den followed by Limber stone. They crowded around their mother and again wailed in grief as they buried their heads into their mother’s fur. Tumble claws watched sadly, so young to lose their mother. He thought. He jumped off the tree and padded sadly out of the camp, his thoughts so jumbled with shock and a broken heart that he didn’t notice Limber stone following him.
“Tumble claws?”said a soft voice. He turned and saw her, he grimaced and turned away, he didn’t want to be bothered.
Limber stone stepped closer to Tumble claws, she sighed sadly. She understood his grief completely. She knew she shouldn’t do it but she couldn’t stand seeing him like this, she stepped closer to him and nuzzled him softly under his chin. Tumble claws stiffened and pulled away and looked at Limber stone with broken eyes. Her heart broke…she looked at him with deep emotions racing in her eyes and said “I know how it feels to lose someone you love when they didn’t love you back.”
Tumble claws jerked and growled “Don’t talk to me about love healer, you don’t know what it feels like!” he snarled. Hurt shone in her eyes, but was quickly replaced with anger. “I do know what it feels like! Every day I had to see you feign after her and had to hide my broken heart. It almost broke me completely when I realized you loved her and never realized that I loved you more than she ever could!”she snarled. Tumble claws eyes widened as Limber stone stared at him angrily as tears streamed down her face.
“Limber stone, I……” Tumble claws tried to find words to say but were completely speechless. “Fine! I’m just going to say It.” said Limberstone. “I love you Tumble claws.” she whispered. Tumble claws was hit with realization, he had spent all his time wishing Asmryenth would have loved him when Limber stone, all along loved him and he didn’t love her back.
“I’m so sorry Limber stone….”he said to her. “I know….why can’t you just tell me the truth?”she asked him desperately. Tumble claws looked away, he did feel something, he remembered the emotion that hit him when she had touched him when he had buried his head into Asmryenth’s fur. Limber stone backed away and looked away before he could see the tears in her eyes. But before he could say that he loved her she ran away, Tumble claws yowled in extreme grief and ran away further into the forest…..

Creek ripple was awoken by a paw prodding her side; she opened her eyes and looked up to see her brother looking at her sadly.
“Creek ripple get up, they need to bury mother.” he choked on the last word and looked down as fresh tears started to fall. Creek ripple nuzzled her mother’s fur and stood and padded to her brother, she nuzzled him and felt her heart break as he gasped and cried into her fur. After he was finished Moon glow pulled away, his grief-stricken face was replaced with a mask of no feelings. Creek ripple sighed; he always was trying to be strong for her and their sisters. But she knew that this was hard on him and now it had broken him beyond repair. She turned and watched them carry her mother’s body away. She felt fur brush her fur, she looked side-to-side and realized it was her sisters. They all watched their mother disappear forever. But not completely forever, we’ll see her again. thought Creek ripple with a smile.