The Death of a Hero

Its been several days since Aolani and Kaikala emerged. Maila has keeped Kaikala close to her and not gone out foraging for several days. Starving and nearly out of milk, Maila's predicament is passed onto Kaikala. She is horribly weak and showing signs of a strange sickness. On this particular morning, Maila emerges first. Kaikala drags herself up soon afterwards. The Hawaiis are still sleeping. Maila grabs Kaikala and trods over to the Hawaiis' burrow. Kapalo, Mahalo's brother, is up first at the Hawaiis. He flirts with Maila a bit, comforting her and Kaikala. Mahalo himself is up next. He has no worry about Maila or Kaikala. Soon, Kapepe, Iwahine, and Kal'Kaua emerge. Kapepe sniffs Maila and Kaikala closely but allows them to stay. Maila starts to spread around, foraging around the burrow, desperate for sustinance. Slowly the Hawaiis get up. Despite Kal'Kaua's injury, he is still feisty as ever and tumbles around with Ulani. Aolani joins their games though she is slightly smaller than them. Kaikala is too lethargic and weak to play at all. The Hawaiis now number 23. The Shellos are still larger at 28, but Palaces only number 14. Iwahine keeps a close watch on the rough and tumble games of the pups. She is the oldest female in the group and may even be Kapepe's mother. Iwahine has always loved pups. Marigha, her younger sister, is quite antisocial. Iwahine is second in charge, as enforced by Kapepe, and Iwahine thus appoints her sister Marigha as third in charge. Maila soon stands up and looks around, starving and eager for Kapepe too send the foraging party out. Today, Aolani will be foraging, but Kaikala will not. Instead, Iwahine will babysit her. Kapepe chirps lead calls and sets out. Maila keeps close by her. Dundy in turn keeps close by Maila and Malamalama. Malama stays near his brother also. Mahalo is in position next to Kapepe, and Kapalo is off from the group a little ways. Its like this nearly every day. Meanwhile, at the burrow, Iwahine lactates for Kaikala and she soon starts to gain a little strength. However, the Shellos are arriving. Iwahine, scared for her and Kaikala, grabs the tiny pup and brings her deep underground. The Shellos swarm the burrow. They work amazingly quick and enlarge the entrance. Iwahine seems doomed. Iwahine keeps Kaikala behind her, ready to defend her at all costs. The Shellos are just too much. They drag old Iwahine out of the burrow and viciously maul her. Kaikala is killed almost instantly. Finally, the Shellos claim the burrow as their own by scent-marking it. Iwahine struggles and limps off to find the foraging party, her life hanging by a thread. Finally, Iwahine finds them. Kapepe rushes up to her, the group surrounding her in concern. Everyone grooms her. The three tiny pups cuddle in Iwahine's fur. Dundy grooms her. Mahalo keeps a somber watch. Kapepe hangs her head, comforting the older female, who might be her mother. The Hawaiis are at 22, it would be a horrible loss if it went to 21. Tears seem to be slipping out of Kapepe's eyes as Iwahine's breathing slows. Iwahine coughs once, leans over and cuddles the pups a last time, and stops breathing. The great Iwahine has gone.

R.I.P. Iwahine, faithful Hawaii female.

((I cried while typing this. Iwahine was my favorite and it was a tough decision to kill her off.))