[FHT] Dog Fight

Bheka was frustrated, pacing up and down the fence of her enclosure with pinned ears. The humans had been acting strangely, shutting them out of their house – in the snow! – and leaving them unable to see what exactly was being done to her home. Kanzi and Bahati were both lounging under the rock shelter, apparently completely unperturbed by the interference.

“Come lay down with us Bheka, you’re making me dizzy just looking at you,” Kanzi called.

Bheka gave a low, angry growl in response. “Doesn’t it annoy you that they can just waltz in like this?! That’s our den, Kanzi!”

“And? The humans have the backing of those other creatures, whatever they call themselves. Besides, every time the humans go in there it’s only to put more bedding in or food, or something. Never anything bad.”

“But it’s ours!” Bheka protested again, letting her teeth flash at Kanzi.

Bahati gave a low, nervous twitter. Of the three littermates he was perhaps the calmest, and he hated to see his sisters argue. “Let’s not argue,” he pleaded. “Come and rest, Bheka. You must be cold standing out in that snow.”

“And that’s another thing!” Bheka continued, not to be dissuaded by her brother. “They’re locking us out in the cold! We don’t live in snow, this is all wrong.”

Kanzi rose to her paws slowly, heaving a deep sigh. “Bheka, we’ve all seen snow before and lived to tell the tale. You don’t hear us complaining, and we’re out here too. So kindly give it a rest before I shut your mouth for you.”

Bahati winced at her words, correctly predicting Bheka’s reaction. Bheka bared her teeth even further, walking stiff-legged towards Kanzi with her dark eyes boring into Kanzi’s lighter gaze. “Say that again, Kanzi.”

“Shut your trap. Or I make you.”

With a furious growl Bheka lunged at Kanzi, who leapt to meet her. The two sisters met in twittering fury, snapping and biting at each other yet never quite making contact. Bahati watched, his ears flat and tail tucked.

“Again?” he wailed.

As quickly as the pair’s fight started, however, it was ended, by the house door opening again. Bheka shoved Kanzi off of her, leaping towards the fence to growl and twitter angrily at the humans as they left.

“And stay away!” she screamed after them, before dashing into the house.

Kanzi stood looking somewhat shocked by the sudden end, her head slightly tilted. Bahati trotted to her side, relieved the fight was over.

“Don’t go after her,” he pleaded. “No more fighting.”

“Fine.” Kanzi gave a soft sigh, slinking back to the cave and flopping down with a huff.

Bahati watched her go before heading after Bheka, curious about what the humans had been doing, exactly. It turned out to be exactly what Kanzi had thought; fresh straw had been spread across the heated floor, mixed with blankets, one of which Bheka had dragged into a corner and was chewing on.

“Aren’t we meant to sleep under them?” Bahati asked.

Bheka grunted in response, not pausing in her nibbling. Bahati decided not to push the matter, instead popping his head outside to hoot at Kanzi, telling her it was safe to come in, before he snuggled under one of the blankets, relieved at the warmth.