I love only that which they defend; Keeper

[Ryan]

I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness,
nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory

As the cougar reaches the den, already looking to start adjusting his vision as he looks into the dimness, it is easy for his feline ears to pick up the rumbled words that shape his own name. He pauses, lets his eyes adjust, standing just inside the cave entryway. It’s warm inside, comforting, and he watches her sleep for a minute, perfectly still. It could be creepy, but it isn’t. He just thinks she’s beautiful. Even the other inside of her. Her bear dislikes his cougar, because she is the top predator. Ryan doesn’t have that problem; his cougar would yield to the bear in the wild and while it takes offense to the scent of other felines and even canines, it is content to let the ursine be.

And Ryan-the-horse has no reservations at all. Keeper is beautiful inside and out. After watching for a long moment he moves into the cave, on silent paws and moving very slowly. There isn’t room for another equine in the den, but there is enough room for the smaller and more flexible cougar to slide in, tucking himself slowly up against her – slowly to give her every chance to pull away, to give him every chance to slip out of the way of angry hooves if he startles her into a negative reaction.

But if she doesn’t startle awake and do anything violent, he is ready to slide into the warm den beside her, a purr starting deep in his chest and echoing against the cavern walls. It’s not a quiet sound; cougars are the biggest cats that can purr and they are awfully large, but it is a good sound. A happy sound.

Ryan

( I love only that which they defend. )

I guess Ryan wanted to keep being a kitty. :|