The little cat-eared girl stirred some hours later. The fire in the center of the cave was down to a few last embers, and she realized it must be morning, or nearly so - but she didn't feel like getting up just yet. She could hear low voices next to her, and realized that some of the older girls of the tribe must be having a conversation while trying to avoid waking the children up.
"Kelly looks so sweet when she's sleeping," said a voice which she realized was her sister Jessica. "Some days she's such a handful that you'd almost swear she was really a male, but when she's like this..."
There was a soft chuckle. "Well, you might've forgotten, but you were a little bundle of chaos yourself at that age," said another voice, that of her mother. "But you're not wrong."
Jessica chuckled softly. There was a brief pause, and then her mother spoke again. "You've been a lot more affectionate towards her lately, you know."
"Mm," Jessica murmured, avoiding the unspoken question.
Her mother persisted. "Honestly, it's probably about time you started having cubs of your own, dear. Have you ever thought about that?"
There was an awkward silence. "O-oh, I don't know..." Jessica murmured.
A third voice broke in with a titter. "That's not what your tail's saying, Jess!"
Jessica sputtered. "I...it's just...!" She paused for a moment to collect herself. "I mean, okay, yeah. Any girl thinks about that. It's just...well, it's so hard to find a good male..."
The third voice tittered again. "Oh, is that all? Listen, Jess, there's no reason to go to all that trouble. Nine times outta ten, you find yourself a male, let him do his thing, and then he's off to stalk the night all by his lonesome again without so much as a thank-you-ma'am. Save yourself the trouble - it's just as easy to find a nice panther, especially in this end of the forest..."
"Well," Jessica said, "that's what I mean. I kinda think I'd want more than that..."
"Heh! Nah, trust me, honey. You know what males are like. They're trouble enough when they're young, and then they grow up and they get all solitary on top of that. Anyway, it's not like a nice big cat isn't perfectly satisfying as a mate."
"Oh, that's a load," interjected a fourth voice. "I mean, sure, they're not bad by any means. Better than some of those schlubs that hang out around the spring looking for any girl baby-crazy enough to not mind that they don't know or care what they're doing, definitely. But sister, you've never lived until you've experienced what an intelligent lover can dream up. If she wants to hold out for that, well, I for one can understand."
There was a pause, and the soft sounds of someone licking herself. "Besides, she's only, what, sixteen? Right. Hardly an old maid just yet. Plenty of time to try for something really memorable if she wants."
"Well, I didn't mean just the sex, anyway," Jessica said, sounding a little peeved. "It...it'd kinda be nice if...well, you know, if you could get one to stick around...like, even live together..."
Her mother sighed. "Oh, honey. I know that feeling, but...well, they're males. It just isn't in their nature, I'm afraid."
Jessica heaved a sigh. "That's what everybody says...but, I mean, what if I had boys? Then they'd only grow up and leave me..."
"Oh, sweetie," her mother said. "Even when they do leave...you'll never forget your children, any more than they'll forget you. That bond is for life, no matter whether they stay in the tribe or go off their own way. That's what being a mother is about."
"I guess so..." There was the sound of someone's tail lashing against the cave floor in agitation.
The little girl who had used to be Ken lay there thinking about it all. The part of her that was once an older human boy knew what they were talking about, but right now it all seemed so far-off and foreign to her...she shivered slightly, the warmth from the fire all but gone, and her mother came over and laid down next to her, wrapping her against her bare, three-tiered bosom and pulling the little one into her warm embrace.