A SHADOW OVER THE AMUR
TRICKERY - CALLISTO CONVINCES ZEMNAR THAT SH'GAT IS RIGHTFULLY IN POWER
ASOA II
ASWA AND CALLISTO ADOPT A CUB
THE CUB THAT SH'GAT AND ASWAY HAD BUT NO ONE IN BHATAS CLAN KNEW ABOUT IT
MAYBE WHEN SHE LEFT, SHE WAS JUS SHOWING SIGNS OF PREGNANCY
SHE HAD THE CUB ALONE BEFORE SHE MET CALLISTO
SO CALLISTO BECOMES KIND OF A FATHER FIGURE TO XIA
WHO OFTEN WONDERS WHY HER DADDY IS A LEOPARD
XIA IS THE CUBS NAME
CALLISTO AND ASWA PLAN TO USE THEIR DAUGHTER TO GET REVENGE ON SWALA AND BHATA
BY THIS TIME THEY HAVE FOUND THEIR WAY OUT OF THE DESERT AND CALLISTO REMEMBER THE TRAILS HOME
THEY WALK AND WALK AND FINALLY COME CLOSE TO THE EDGE OF THEIR TERRITORY
THEY SETTLE IN THE FOOTHILLS A FEW MILES OR SO FROM THE MOUNTAIN THEY KEEP A LOW PROFILE STAYING CLOSE TO THEIR CAMP AND NOT VENTURING TOO FAR EXCEPT TO HUNT
XIA GROWS AND DEVELOPS A HATRED TOWARD THE RIVAL CLAN WHEN SHE LEARNS OF HER PAST>
A HUNGER DEVLOPS INSIDE XIA ---SHE WAS BORN TO RULE
ONE DAY THEY NOTICE THE CLAN COMING CLOSE TO WHERE THEY ARE CAMPED AND THEY SPY ON THEM AND SEE THAT SWALA AND BHATA HAVE HAD A CUB AS WELL
THIS CUB IS A MALE NAMED TAU AND THE OTHER IS A FEMALE NAMED KELEH
THEY OBSERVE THE CLAN AND SEE THE NEW SON OF BHATA AND SWALA WHO IS YES ALBINO
SO THEY WAIT FOR A MOMENT WHEN THE PARENTS ARE AWAY FROM THE CUBS AND ENTER THE CLEARING QUIETLY THE CUBS ARE OLD ENOUGH BY NOW TO BE LEFT ALONE FOR A SHORT TIME AND BESIDES THEY THINK THE AREA IS SAFE WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OTHER TIGERS WERE AROUND
THEY NUDGE XIA CLOSER TO TAU
THE TWO MEET AND START TO LIKE EACH OTHER
XIA TURNS TAU AGAINST HIS PARENTS