Buschea & Lions by Ebonygriot

I don't own any characters from the Black Jewels Trilogy; they belong to the very inspiring and talented Anne Bishop. New characters are my imagination. I make no profit from the tale that follows.

[Honest and critical reviews welcome.

Chapter 10: Family Tensions and Fractures

Ebon Askavi

Ama along with her daughter Aschan and her son Chaonar are accompanying Jadua, Indra the children of the clan-pride Queen Imaani. Indra's mate Rasq is also travelling with this group. They have with them around a thousand survivors of what had started out as two and half thousand kindred and people.

Ama wears her hair short but is no less feminine in her looks. Aschan who has just started delving into yet another trend in clothing wears layers of clothing in tones of rust, ochre and orange. This is her earth tone phase after all.

Chaonar has been getting on Aschan's very last nerve as he continues to taunt her about how she can't wrap her head very well. Using the cloths which she had woven before the start of the journey she'd tried to adapt some of the styles she'd seen her older sister Akosian use.

'Yes Chaonar it might have been useful if I had paid attention while Akosian had been showing her how to wrap the cloths. Brother why don't you just get a life and stop bugging me'

Hearing the seething tones in her voice this brother came up beside her looked at her precarious looking head wrap and asked. 'do you want me to re-wrap that for you?'

Although tempted to kick him in his family fruit. Aschan knew he had more of a knack at wrapping heads that she did, only because he flirted with so many woman as he advised them in their artful head wrapping. Aschan sucked salt and merely nodded keeping her lips pursed together. She didn't trust what she would say to him right now. Hell's fire why did the ripe shit have to look so smug.

They had camped for the night near a river which led to the woods they were due to travel through tomorrow. Sitting on a rock with a blanket spread over it Aschan waited for Chaonar to beginning re-wrapping her hair. She could feel that it felt firmer straight away.

'Thanks.' She mumbled as she got up of the stone and went to the river before the dusk made it impossible to see her reflection.

[Why do you get so much fun out of tormenting you little sister Chaonar? Indra enquired as she passed a giggling Chaonar.

Looking round at the lioness he smiled, 'Well you aren't so easy to rile, Jadua and Rashq would give as good as I could in any tormenting stakes. That just leaves good old Aschan.'

[What about your nephew Oriar? he can be quite humorous you know Indra had felt Chaonars body stiffen and his mood turn cold as soon as she mentioned Oriar's name. She had known this was the reaction she would get but she wasn't going to keep going along with so many other first circle members who danced around Chaonar's unrelenting rejection of his sister's child.

'I'll go a make sure the perimeters are secure for the night' Chaonar threw over his shoulder before making his rounds of the campsite.

'Was that another one of you attempt to get Chaonar to acknowledge that I exist bright fire?'

Oriar was sitting on a nearby tree stump watching as his friend the lioness approached him. His affectionate and deliberately annoying use of the name he had always called her, which was after all the meaning of her name, was an attempt to calm his friend a little.

Swatting his thigh with her paw, claws sheathed, Indra indicated for Oriar to make some space for her on the overturned log. Reshuffling to get into a comfortable position where he could still look into his friends eye Oriar sighed.

'I give up Indra, Chaonar's never going to get past me being the son of the man who raped his sister. I almost wish mama had taken me with her group. It's been harder on this journey than in our own village. Back there we both had regular patterns and routine that safely avoided each other.'

Darkness knows he was sick of being made to feel he should apologise for his existence by his uncle. Over the months of the journey to this new land the simmering resentment he felt towards his uncle had grown.

[Mother Night don't be going all soft and poor me on me right now Ori. You never quit before don't start now or you and I are going to have to wrestle again. Did the healer manage to get the marks out of you skin by the way.

'Crazy bitch, I don't know how your poor mate Rasq puts up with you.' [I prefer lioness to bitch just don't you forget it how snarly I can get.

The two sat in companionable silence for a while. Oriar gentling stoking his friends fur behind her right ear as she purred contentedly.

From the distance Ama had watched the exchange between her son and Indra. Although too far away to hear the exchange she knew what had passed between the two. Indra liked Chaonar but she was fiercely protective of Oriar, who had more kindred than human friends.

She had tried to talk to her son about the tension caused by his constant avoidance of Oriar. Oh he was never offensive or rude to the boy he just seemed to pretend that the youngster didn't exist.

'Indra, Oriar I'm going to say goodnight to Buschea would you like to come?' Lioness and young man swiftly moved towards Ama eager to take up this treat. Everyone loved spending time with Buschea. They all knew the extra shielding she provided the young and the old was taking its toll on her although they tried not to bother her the young especially missed being able to regularly drop in her lair back at the village.

Greetingss Oriar, Indra it is sso good to ssee you both. I'm sorry I don't get to sssee you and the other young oness so much thesse dayss

Indra and Oriar hugged and snuggled Buschea. 'If you promise not to bother Buschea with questions or prattle you can both sleep here tonight.' Announced Ama. She knew how much Buschea missed nights with the young.

Indra and Oriar were the too that were least likely to bother Buschea with chatter. Ama called in the sleeping mat for Indra and the Sleeping bag for Oriar. On both she put gentle warming spells. At the same time she sent a message to let Rasq know that Indra wouldn't be returning to their den for the night.

Ama excused herself and returned to the main campsite for the night. As the two slept by the grande damme she gently sent soothing emotions and thoughts to help ease them into a restful sleep for the night. Tomorrow these two and Oriar's Aunt would go out to meet the children of Draca and Lorn.