Dena blinked. She sat where she had collapsed onto the floor, head
throbbing where she had hit it on the hard wood of the chest. The cat-
creature had long since strutted out from behind the bureau, and was now
sitting before Dena, licking its paw. She blinked again. The creature
before her didn't disappear. She gazed down at its tawny fur, cream with
strangely reddish highlights. Golden eyes met blue eyes: eyes that seemed
to fall forever into bottomless pools of liquid-blue fire. *It spoke to
me. This thing...*
Delicate jaws parted, showing razor sharp fangs as Solara stretched out her lithe body and yawned. :. Really. All this "it." I do have feelings, you know. I'm almost offended, .: she finished, with an un-catlike snort. After a bit of circling, she seemed to settle into a crouching position that made her look like one of the old Sphinx statues Yfandena had seen in one of her books.
Dena blinked once more. All thoughts of desperation were driven from her head as her mind tried to wrap itself around the fact that a firecat was in her room. A firecat. A real living, breathing firecat. "I-I'm sorry. I just wasn't really... I mean, I've never really met a talking cat before," Dena stammered as she tried to recall everything she'd ever heard about magic and giant cats.
:. Well yes, I'd be rather surprised if you had. .: Came the wry reply. A tail twitched. Yfandena could have sworn the cat was smirking at her, except cats couldn't smile, much less smirk.
:. I thought we'd been over this. I'm not a cat, I'm a firecat. .: The tail grew quite agitated as Solara's tone grew bored.
Dena sat in silence. She just didn't know how to reply. She knew that the firecats were avatars of Vkandis, a sign of his favor like the flame- tongues that had sometimes appeared around Father Jedris, the old Sunhame priest that had been her tutor so long ago. She still remembered his kindly face as he taught her different prayers to Vkandis. Dena had missed him when he had been dismissed. Not anymore though. He had just left like all the others left her. She realized that now. No one ever had truly loved her; even her mother and father were about to abandon her.
Yfandena's heart nearly stopped as a disgusted growl broke silence of the night. Solara got-up and re-settled herself directly in front of Yfandena: her eyes looking straight into Dena's and her posture became tense. Dena could sense the disdain in those bright eyes; they bored down on her like picks of ice. :. Honestly child. Do you really think your parents are abandoning you? You do realize that there is a growing anti-Valdemaren sentiment in Karse, and that your father created this treaty in order to avoid a possible war. You do also realize that if this treaty fails, your father could lose his hold, tenuous as it is, on the throne. You do understand that the political situation between Valdemar and Karse is growing increasingly tense, and that your father's deposition could result in the deaths of thousands, including every last member of your family. Or, are you so blind and self-centered that you have failed to see what was happening around you? Did you honestly think your parents would ignore the cries of their only child for petty reasons? .: Solara emphasized her words with pictures and feelings of loss, turmoil, anguish, and heartbreak. The last, Yfandena was sure, was from her mother. It had somehow "smelled" like she always thought her mother smelled.
Dena sat in shock. She had never known. She would have never guessed. Her family had not abandoned her at all, but was forced to give her up. An odd feeling began to swell in her chest, squeezing her heart with unfamiliar emotions. *If this treaty doesn't work, then mother and father and aunties and gran will all die. I can't let that happen. I can't. Estien is bad, but letting them all get hurt is worse.* Resolve rose in her, causing Dena to unconsciously close her hands into tight, white fists.
Solara purred and began to relax. :. I thought so. Keep that determination child, for it will serve you well. Now, people are coming. Are you prepared to face them? .:
"I suppose..." replied Yfandena. "But how am I going to explain you?"
A soft but heavy paw rested itself on Yfandena's knee, as a mystical expression transformed Solara's dark-masked face into a copy of a holy statue. :. It is not time for me yet. I answered your need, but you are not yet worthy. I'm going to leave now, and you won't see me until you prove you merit the blessings of a firecat. .:
With those words, the firecat vanished into the evening air, leaving Yfandena wondering if she had imagined it all. Surely she had, or she was going insane. For, whoever heard of a female firecat presenting herself to a female child? Voices came nearer to the tent, and Yfandena could make out the warm laugh of the diligent Herald Terla.
Dena rose from the ground and brushed of the dust from her dress with both hands. One thing was for certain though, imagined or not, the cat's lesson had been well received. Dena would survive.
Delicate jaws parted, showing razor sharp fangs as Solara stretched out her lithe body and yawned. :. Really. All this "it." I do have feelings, you know. I'm almost offended, .: she finished, with an un-catlike snort. After a bit of circling, she seemed to settle into a crouching position that made her look like one of the old Sphinx statues Yfandena had seen in one of her books.
Dena blinked once more. All thoughts of desperation were driven from her head as her mind tried to wrap itself around the fact that a firecat was in her room. A firecat. A real living, breathing firecat. "I-I'm sorry. I just wasn't really... I mean, I've never really met a talking cat before," Dena stammered as she tried to recall everything she'd ever heard about magic and giant cats.
:. Well yes, I'd be rather surprised if you had. .: Came the wry reply. A tail twitched. Yfandena could have sworn the cat was smirking at her, except cats couldn't smile, much less smirk.
:. I thought we'd been over this. I'm not a cat, I'm a firecat. .: The tail grew quite agitated as Solara's tone grew bored.
Dena sat in silence. She just didn't know how to reply. She knew that the firecats were avatars of Vkandis, a sign of his favor like the flame- tongues that had sometimes appeared around Father Jedris, the old Sunhame priest that had been her tutor so long ago. She still remembered his kindly face as he taught her different prayers to Vkandis. Dena had missed him when he had been dismissed. Not anymore though. He had just left like all the others left her. She realized that now. No one ever had truly loved her; even her mother and father were about to abandon her.
Yfandena's heart nearly stopped as a disgusted growl broke silence of the night. Solara got-up and re-settled herself directly in front of Yfandena: her eyes looking straight into Dena's and her posture became tense. Dena could sense the disdain in those bright eyes; they bored down on her like picks of ice. :. Honestly child. Do you really think your parents are abandoning you? You do realize that there is a growing anti-Valdemaren sentiment in Karse, and that your father created this treaty in order to avoid a possible war. You do also realize that if this treaty fails, your father could lose his hold, tenuous as it is, on the throne. You do understand that the political situation between Valdemar and Karse is growing increasingly tense, and that your father's deposition could result in the deaths of thousands, including every last member of your family. Or, are you so blind and self-centered that you have failed to see what was happening around you? Did you honestly think your parents would ignore the cries of their only child for petty reasons? .: Solara emphasized her words with pictures and feelings of loss, turmoil, anguish, and heartbreak. The last, Yfandena was sure, was from her mother. It had somehow "smelled" like she always thought her mother smelled.
Dena sat in shock. She had never known. She would have never guessed. Her family had not abandoned her at all, but was forced to give her up. An odd feeling began to swell in her chest, squeezing her heart with unfamiliar emotions. *If this treaty doesn't work, then mother and father and aunties and gran will all die. I can't let that happen. I can't. Estien is bad, but letting them all get hurt is worse.* Resolve rose in her, causing Dena to unconsciously close her hands into tight, white fists.
Solara purred and began to relax. :. I thought so. Keep that determination child, for it will serve you well. Now, people are coming. Are you prepared to face them? .:
"I suppose..." replied Yfandena. "But how am I going to explain you?"
A soft but heavy paw rested itself on Yfandena's knee, as a mystical expression transformed Solara's dark-masked face into a copy of a holy statue. :. It is not time for me yet. I answered your need, but you are not yet worthy. I'm going to leave now, and you won't see me until you prove you merit the blessings of a firecat. .:
With those words, the firecat vanished into the evening air, leaving Yfandena wondering if she had imagined it all. Surely she had, or she was going insane. For, whoever heard of a female firecat presenting herself to a female child? Voices came nearer to the tent, and Yfandena could make out the warm laugh of the diligent Herald Terla.
Dena rose from the ground and brushed of the dust from her dress with both hands. One thing was for certain though, imagined or not, the cat's lesson had been well received. Dena would survive.