Indistinct

Indistinct

~~

"Listen... listen my child... hear me, hear me well. Heed my words, never forget them. Stake your life and leadership on them. And never stray from what I have taught. Not ever. Closer child, still closer. My voice weakens. Death is coming. Valefore has come to drape his mantle over my eyes. You must listen quickly. The Wolves, girl... the Wolves. I thought them harmless. I thought them no threat to us... but I fear... I fear that my pride cursed me wrong. Death has brought me a vision. They will grow, swell. Like a mother ready to give birth, the valley below will grow fat with them. They will become too numerous. Listen! Do not look away from me! Steady your gaze on your mother, do not wrinkle your nose at the smell of her dieing. Hear my words. Oh child, it does hurt to speak, but I must. I must! So you know... and you can be ready. For the day they come. They will come. You will have to meet them. And push them back. Do not let them take our lands. Be strong, child. Be firm. Do not... do not let them... do not..."

~~

Seraph woke with a start, the sound of her mother's last words lingering in the back of her mind. Blinking, she focused her good eye on the stone wall across from her sleeping place before sitting up. With a tremendous yawn, Seraph stood, shaking the night dust from her pelt. Stretching her chilled limbs, she padded to the entrance of her shelter, stepping onto the overhang. From here, she could see a few others moving about in the early morning light. Birds lilted and called from the trees and the smell of sunrise lay on the land. Lowering her hind end to the ground, she curled her tail around her feet and studied the day.

The tops of the trees were glowing by the time Seraph came back from her thoughts. Decisions had been made, ideas had been catalouged. Seraph's mind worked quickly, throwing and rolling thoughts around like pebbles. It took little time for her to consider the smaller things in the life of her Clan. Rising, she lowered her front end, claws raking the stone beneath her feet lightly, stretching her back end into the air. Yawning again, Seraph made her way down a well-worn path, leaping from one level of the terrace to the lower. Her good eye swept over the clan area, numbering each member she could see.

In the seasons that had passed since her mother broken from her aunt's clan, their own group had finally begun to grow. Still, in this high up place, prey was scarce. She prayed to the Mother every sunset that she would lend Her guidance, but often times, Seraph feared the Mother had abandoned them. Of course, she'd never voice this aloud, as it would only upset the others, and the last thing she needed was someone like Onyx to being questioning her leadership. Again.

Slipping into a small copse of trees, Seraph lowered her head to drink from the creek hidden there. The water was cool and refreshing after the night, the clear taste of it soothing to her body and mind. Raising up, licking out at the water left dripping from her chin, Seraph's ears twisted about, listening.

Aurelia had made it a practice to be out before most of the clan was, to gather herbs while scents of the day before were as stale as they'd ever be and the less fragrant herbs were easier to find. She wound her way silently between the trees, like some low fog, trying to catch the scent and sight of the plants she searched for. The sun showing through the trees made this Aurelia's favorite time of day. Not too bright, not too dark, and all the plants glistened with dew.

There had been more need for herbs that helped smaller injuries heal. Prey was scare and the Healer noticed it as much as any cat, if not more. She needed to keep the small pool in her cave full, no easy feat, and all her supplies stocked. Not that she minded roaming for herbs, but it did make her worry. If it weren't for the solid strength of the clan matron, Aurelia would be much more worried.

Instead, as the pale cougar detoured to the creek for a quick lap of water, she spied Matron Seraph. As the matron seemed deep in thought, the healer thought it best not to disturb her, but worried that it would not be properly respectful. Instead she sat a good ways away, should Seraph choose to see and acknowledge her soon she would stay. Should she not, then the Healer would continue on her way. Her tail twitched back and forth as she waited to see what Seraph would do.

"Good morning, Healer," Seraph purred out softly, glancing at the young female. "I trust that the dawn found you rested?"

Though Seraph wasn't one for too many outward emotions, she had a soft spot in her heart for the Healer. She remembered well the day she'd gone from the Apprentice to full Healer, and as if Aurelia had been her own, she'd been proud. Lowering her head again, she took aother drink before looking fully at the other.

"I know that look well, Aurelia. Is there something on your mind?"

Settling her hind end on the ground, Seraph wrapped her tail around her feet, one-eyed gaze steady on the Healer.

At the older cat's recognition, Aurelia stood and walked a bit closer before resting her hindquarters again.

"Good morning, Matron. The dawn finds me as well as it ever does, and rewards my timing with the freshest herbs. Nothing makes the morning more pleasant. "

Second to her craft, Aurelia was devoted to her clan, and always admired the strength of the matron. It was rare she even found Seraph apart from her duties. The matron , as Aurelia well knew, put the clan first.

"My mind?" Aurelia said, a bit surprised. Her tone was soft and calm, as it tended to be. "My mind is full of wonders for the land around us and the cures and dangers it holds for us, what is food and what is poison." She paused, to consider how to phrase the thoughts that had been drifting restlessly through her mind of late.
"The only worry that would ever cross my mind if what would happen if you were truely worried, Matron Seraph. Yes, I have heard of the lands around our own, I have scented the stale prey scents, I know these rumored dangers to our clan, though less so that yourself of course. It remains that I have faith in the Mother and your strength."

Aurelia politely turned from her matron and lapped water delicately from the creek.

Seraph let her features soften for the barest of moments. The Healer worried that she was worried? A curious thought, indeed.

"Of course I worry, Aurelia," Seraph said lightly. "I worry about the young, the elders. I worry about this lack of prey. I hide my worries as well as I can, and I trust that you will keep this conversation between us. Every day the hunters go out, they go further from our home. And the others..."

Seraph's gaze turned southward, down-mountain from the rocky area she'd claimed for her clan. She could almost convince herself some days that she could hear them coming, could smell them on the breeze. And in her musings, she could almost see them slinking through the shadows of the trees.

"Like you, I have all faith in the Mother that she will guide and protect us."

The healer chuckled. "Well I should hope you worry some, you've the cares of the clan on your back! " She let her expression fade into a slight smile.
" And as you ask it, this conversation is one only our ears will hear of. But I simply meant that I shall be a quite content cougar until the day your faith in the Mother fails."

Aurelia followed Seraph's gaze, as was silent for a moment. "The wolves? For now, I do not believe we've anything to fear from them. One day, if their numbers greatly surpass our own, perhaps. But the Mother will lead us though. Do not worry too much, Matron, on things we may do nothing about now. "
She offered a tentative smile that she hoped was calm and supportive.

"I worry, but I keep it in the back of my mind. Like an itch behind one's ear that can only barely be reached." Seraph stood again and began to pace, her good eye ever on the trees and surroundings, ears tuned to hear. "I would have your advice, Aurelia. Would you be so good to give it to me?"

She knew she should speak to Onyx about her thoughts, but Aurelia had a more open mind than the male. She was thoughtful and thorough, as a good Healer and female should be. Young though she was, Seraph trusted Aurelia with her words.