Chapter Tree
The Father
Garr closed the door behind him and slipped into his room. He gently let Rei down on the floor. Throughout the journey the little half-tiger had begun to trust him. Not much, but enough so that he no longer panicked or tried to run away. Immediately he started poking his nose (literally) into every where. Rei even found the emergency stash of food Garr kept in his room.
Rei dragged a sealed pack to the middle of the floor. "Do you want a knife?" Garr asked. Rei shook his head and began scratching at it with his nails/claws. Getting frustrated, he swiped at it, sending it fly across the room. Garr retrieved the package and opened it easily. Rei pounced on Garr, sticking his nose in the package. Sneezing, he backed away. Rei continued to sneeze, surprisingly loud for such a small kid.
Garr froze as he heard footsteps approach the door. A voice even deeper than Garr's called out.
"Garr, is that you? Don't tell me you're getting sick!?" The door swung open and a VERY tall Guardian stood in it. Rei looked up to see who had said what. And he kept looking up…and up…and up, until he fell over backwards. He kept his eyes on the new Guardian. Garr also kept his eyes on his father. He also kept his mouth shut, sure that anything he said would get him in even more trouble.
"……Who is that? Wait. Tell me everything that happened since you left this morning." Ganlon said. "Or rather tell me why you left with no word, then, tell what happened." He continued giving Garr a mild glare. Rei slowly moved until he was directly behind Garr. Garr felt sharp little claws pressing into his back and a quivering body pressing next to his. So in a very tense mood the story was told.
~~~~*~~~~
"And that's what happened." Garr said, his throat dry from talking for so long. Garr looked out the window and saw that the sun was just beginning to rise. Rei had long since fallen asleep, despite his terror of Ganlon. Slowly, Ganlon nodded.
"And you think he's going to stay here?" Ganlon queried.
This time Garr nodded. "I don't know why I did the things I did but this is how it's supposed to be. Otherwise why would it happen?" Ganlon blinked unable to think of an…appropriate…answer.
Rei yawned and managed to shift position without removing his claws or moving very far from the safety of Garr's back. Ganlon got up and moved to the door. "He'll be your responsibility. And you will not let it interfere with your training." He turned to his son. "Which reminds me that in half an hour it will be time for the morning session."
Garr sighed, but did not protest. Twisting around, he tried to disentangle Rei's claws from his robe but soon gave up and fell asleep sitting up.
~~~~*~~~~
The first thing Rei noticed was that Garr was gone. Of course the frighteningly tall person was gone too…but Garr was a bit more important. Rei fought free of the robe that had gotten twisted around him in his sleep and sat up. He slowly crept to the door and opened it.
Sticking his head out, Rei was once again struck by the size of everything in the house, from the doors, to the chairs, to the books. Still keeping an eye out for the giant Garr talked to last night, Rei's curiosity overcame him and he began to explore.
Finding no sign of either Guardian, Rei was both relieved and worried. On one hand the tall person, which Rei gathered to be related to Garr somehow, wasn't around. On the other if he came back, Garr wasn't here to protect him. Rei decided to go look outside so that if the tall person did come back, he wouldn't find him.
Rei got outside and immediately was overcome by curiosity. There were the strangest sounds coming from the cliff above the pond. Garr's scent was there too. Rei looked around for a way to climb up without getting wet and concluded that there wasn't a way. So Rei went around through the forest and up.
~~~~*~~~~
Garr jumped out of the way of what, if they were using real weapons, would be a killing blow. "You must anticipate my moves, Garr." His father said not wasting any time for Garr to get his senses. Garr desperately parried the next blow and went on the offensive. "Better, Garr, but defense is just as important." Ganlon praised and chided. Garr just nodded and kept striking. Eventually, he did get a blow past his father's defense.
"That's enough for now." Ganlon said, stepping back and rubbing the bruised area. When Garr did get through, he hurt. Fortunately, he was not yet good enough to get through often. Just then a striped head poked out of the trees. Garr smiled and waved Rei over. Taking care to stay FAR away from Ganlon, Rei crept over to Garr.
"Doesn't he talk?" Ganlon asked, watching his son and his son's…friend. Garr took a small drink of water and looked up.
"I don't know. I've never heard him but he does get what he wants across regardless." Ganlon looked at the tiger-like child and then looked back at Garr.
"Meow?" Ganlon looked back at Rei and not taking his eyes of him, asked Garr what he was saying.
"How should I know?! If it's important, he'll make us understand." Garr said leaning back and capping the water. Rei took the canteen up and shook it. He looked at Garr, irritably.
"WHAT!" Garr said defensively. Rei hissed softly. "I don't need that much water." Garr explained gently. Rei climbed up on Garr and uncapped the canteen. He tried opening Garr's mouth with one hand. That not working, he just dumped it on Garr anyway.
Ganlon stood off doubled over with laughter which died quickly as Rei jumped off Garr and stalked over to him. "Garr…what does he want…" He said nervously. Dripping wet, Garr merely looked at his father. Brilliance suddenly struck Ganlon and he quickly uncapped his canteen and drank it all. Rei started purring in a self satisfied way.
Through out the day while Garr and Ganlon were training, Rei would go and get water and force them to drink all of it. And when they wouldn't, he'd dump it on them. Rei stayed the night…and the next…and the next…until it seemed like he was always there. He was Garr's brother and Ganlon's son. He was home.
The Father
Garr closed the door behind him and slipped into his room. He gently let Rei down on the floor. Throughout the journey the little half-tiger had begun to trust him. Not much, but enough so that he no longer panicked or tried to run away. Immediately he started poking his nose (literally) into every where. Rei even found the emergency stash of food Garr kept in his room.
Rei dragged a sealed pack to the middle of the floor. "Do you want a knife?" Garr asked. Rei shook his head and began scratching at it with his nails/claws. Getting frustrated, he swiped at it, sending it fly across the room. Garr retrieved the package and opened it easily. Rei pounced on Garr, sticking his nose in the package. Sneezing, he backed away. Rei continued to sneeze, surprisingly loud for such a small kid.
Garr froze as he heard footsteps approach the door. A voice even deeper than Garr's called out.
"Garr, is that you? Don't tell me you're getting sick!?" The door swung open and a VERY tall Guardian stood in it. Rei looked up to see who had said what. And he kept looking up…and up…and up, until he fell over backwards. He kept his eyes on the new Guardian. Garr also kept his eyes on his father. He also kept his mouth shut, sure that anything he said would get him in even more trouble.
"……Who is that? Wait. Tell me everything that happened since you left this morning." Ganlon said. "Or rather tell me why you left with no word, then, tell what happened." He continued giving Garr a mild glare. Rei slowly moved until he was directly behind Garr. Garr felt sharp little claws pressing into his back and a quivering body pressing next to his. So in a very tense mood the story was told.
~~~~*~~~~
"And that's what happened." Garr said, his throat dry from talking for so long. Garr looked out the window and saw that the sun was just beginning to rise. Rei had long since fallen asleep, despite his terror of Ganlon. Slowly, Ganlon nodded.
"And you think he's going to stay here?" Ganlon queried.
This time Garr nodded. "I don't know why I did the things I did but this is how it's supposed to be. Otherwise why would it happen?" Ganlon blinked unable to think of an…appropriate…answer.
Rei yawned and managed to shift position without removing his claws or moving very far from the safety of Garr's back. Ganlon got up and moved to the door. "He'll be your responsibility. And you will not let it interfere with your training." He turned to his son. "Which reminds me that in half an hour it will be time for the morning session."
Garr sighed, but did not protest. Twisting around, he tried to disentangle Rei's claws from his robe but soon gave up and fell asleep sitting up.
~~~~*~~~~
The first thing Rei noticed was that Garr was gone. Of course the frighteningly tall person was gone too…but Garr was a bit more important. Rei fought free of the robe that had gotten twisted around him in his sleep and sat up. He slowly crept to the door and opened it.
Sticking his head out, Rei was once again struck by the size of everything in the house, from the doors, to the chairs, to the books. Still keeping an eye out for the giant Garr talked to last night, Rei's curiosity overcame him and he began to explore.
Finding no sign of either Guardian, Rei was both relieved and worried. On one hand the tall person, which Rei gathered to be related to Garr somehow, wasn't around. On the other if he came back, Garr wasn't here to protect him. Rei decided to go look outside so that if the tall person did come back, he wouldn't find him.
Rei got outside and immediately was overcome by curiosity. There were the strangest sounds coming from the cliff above the pond. Garr's scent was there too. Rei looked around for a way to climb up without getting wet and concluded that there wasn't a way. So Rei went around through the forest and up.
~~~~*~~~~
Garr jumped out of the way of what, if they were using real weapons, would be a killing blow. "You must anticipate my moves, Garr." His father said not wasting any time for Garr to get his senses. Garr desperately parried the next blow and went on the offensive. "Better, Garr, but defense is just as important." Ganlon praised and chided. Garr just nodded and kept striking. Eventually, he did get a blow past his father's defense.
"That's enough for now." Ganlon said, stepping back and rubbing the bruised area. When Garr did get through, he hurt. Fortunately, he was not yet good enough to get through often. Just then a striped head poked out of the trees. Garr smiled and waved Rei over. Taking care to stay FAR away from Ganlon, Rei crept over to Garr.
"Doesn't he talk?" Ganlon asked, watching his son and his son's…friend. Garr took a small drink of water and looked up.
"I don't know. I've never heard him but he does get what he wants across regardless." Ganlon looked at the tiger-like child and then looked back at Garr.
"Meow?" Ganlon looked back at Rei and not taking his eyes of him, asked Garr what he was saying.
"How should I know?! If it's important, he'll make us understand." Garr said leaning back and capping the water. Rei took the canteen up and shook it. He looked at Garr, irritably.
"WHAT!" Garr said defensively. Rei hissed softly. "I don't need that much water." Garr explained gently. Rei climbed up on Garr and uncapped the canteen. He tried opening Garr's mouth with one hand. That not working, he just dumped it on Garr anyway.
Ganlon stood off doubled over with laughter which died quickly as Rei jumped off Garr and stalked over to him. "Garr…what does he want…" He said nervously. Dripping wet, Garr merely looked at his father. Brilliance suddenly struck Ganlon and he quickly uncapped his canteen and drank it all. Rei started purring in a self satisfied way.
Through out the day while Garr and Ganlon were training, Rei would go and get water and force them to drink all of it. And when they wouldn't, he'd dump it on them. Rei stayed the night…and the next…and the next…until it seemed like he was always there. He was Garr's brother and Ganlon's son. He was home.