Amber sighed. "Yes, I do. And as I said, you'll be caring for the cubs, but I'm going to pitch in a little more, okay? It's going to be alright. I feel responsible for these cubs, anyway. And you're going to take care of them. I'll just be around to help." Amber repeated
"No, you have your own work, this is mine, I volunteered to care for them and you volunteered to care for yours, they are mine," Orchid stepped in front of the cubs. "I am sorry about earlier, I do not do well with others telling me that I know nothing, I get it a lot."
Amber sighed. "I understand, but I was saying you know nothing of me. Which is true. You don't. No offense or anything." She added quickly. "I'll be checking in, alright? And also, the pups aren't mine. They're my cousins." She laughed. "It's a big difference. For one, they never seem to want to listen to me. They sure are mischievous."
"But you are raising them, they are your responsibility, I am raising the cubs and they are my responsibility. And I may know nothing about you, but that just makes me all the more suspicious of you so you must understand why I do not trust you with the cubs," Orchid explained.
Amber wanted to sigh in annoyance. "Look. I was the one who thought of the cubs. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't be alive. I understand that you don't trust me, but, to be frank, I'm not sure if I can trust you either. No offense, of course. So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to stop by every now and then, you'll go get food for yourself and some water while I watch the cubs. Then you'll come back and take your place as their 'mother.' My cousins are very independent and don't need that much care. Soon, they'll become part of the pack, if Alpha allows it."
"I will not allow it," Orchid said with fierce determination. "Would you trust me to stop by everyday and watch your pups while you went somewhere, because I don't think you would. I do not trust you therefore I will not allow you to watch them."
"I actually might trust you. And they're not my pups. Cousins. Look, what can I do to make you trust me?" Amber demanded
"I don't know, maybe you could start by telling me the reason you were looking so guilty earlier when I spoke of other coyotes being cunning," Orchid said, "I do not ask for more, that is all I want to know." Then she added under her breath, "For now."
"Alright, then. Sister. Brother. Die. My. Fault. Make sense?" Amber smiled
"Maybe," Orchid said, "though it doesn't have any cunningness in it so I don't know why speak of cunningness would prompt such a memory."
