Chapter Five
Liriash cared for the cub for almost a month while the coven recovered, doing what they could to restore land wounded in a pitched battle between human and kindred Blood. The land would heal eventually - this was ugly, but far from the devastation caused by all-out war - and caring for Kaelas gave her hope. She knew he wouldn't be hers long enough to watch him grow up, but it was good to have him here and now, his kitten cheerfulness easing the loss of her friends. Miya nursed the cub, and Sarahn watched him when Liriash was busy rebuilding her tattered, drained Webs. Kaelas wasn't sure about the adult male, alternating between hero-worship and a stubborn territoriality that made him bristle and hiss whenever Sarahn got too close to Liriash. She thought he'd make a fine Warlord Prince one day, once he got to be the same size as everything he tried to pick a fight with.
Winter eased into spring, and with the first touch of warmth on the breeze Jaenelle came back to the coven. She was older by far and less playful now, more like a grown witch with a few kills behind her than the half- weaned human cub Liriash had first met. She had a pair of males escorting her, an Eyrien Warlord Prince and a two-leg Warlord whose race Liriash didn't know. At first she thought the two males were hoping Jaenelle would choose one of them to father cubs, but as she watched, she realized the three of them acted more like littermates. Especially the Eyrien, who would have been pouncing on tails if the other two had them.
She watched worriedly as Falan paced slowly up to greet Jaenelle and be introduced to the two males, Lucivar and Khary. The old Queen was fading fast - they might lose her as soon as this winter - but spring warmth and delight in her friend's return lent a semblance of youth to her. Liriash hung back as the coven gathered around Jaenelle and her escorts; she was happy to see the she-kitten again, but she'd known for some time that Jaenelle's return would mean she lost her own kitten. Kaelas' path led him where Witch walked, and nothing she did would change that. Most of the time, she didn't want to change it.
She put the thoughts aside while she could and went to join the rest of the coven, keeping a curious eye on the two males Jaenelle had brought with her. Lucivar and Sarahn were eying each other speculatively, in one of those wordless male disputes over status that she'd never understood, and the human Warlord Khary was clearly trying to restrain himself from dropping to the ground and playing with the cubs that crowded curiously around. And she...well, she had to talk to Jaenelle.
But first she stepped up behind Khary with a nudge to his side. *Go ahead. If you're with the Lady, you can be trusted with cubs.* Then, with a touch of mostly-friendly malice, added, *Besides, they've chewed up everything in their dens already. They can just as well chew on you for a while.*
"I have a house full of Sceltie pups, Lady," he answered wryly. "There's not a part of me _or_ my house that hasn't been gnawed to a fare-thee- well."
"He's right," Jaenelle added, rising on her tiptoes to peek over Khary's shoulder at the cub he'd scooped up. "There's teethmarks over _everything_ in his house - it's all covered in dog hair, though, so it pretty much evens out."
Khary sputtered; Jaenelle grinned wickedly at him, gave a friendly head-rub to the kitten he was holding, and stepped aside to lay a hand on Liriash's shoulder, following her lead away from the crowd of humans and Kindred. "All right, I felt you start to worry the second we came here. What's wrong?"
*Nothing's wrong, exactly. But I have somebody who needs to meet you.*
Jaenelle tilted her head in confusion, but seemed perfectly willing to trust her, one Black Widow to another. Liriash lifted her head and chirruped softly, reaching for her briefly adopted cub with a delicate psychic tendril. There was a brief scuffle from within the tangle of cubs climbing all over Khary, and Kaelas bounced away from the other cubs and over to Liriash to rub his cheek against her forelegs - as high as he could reach as yet.
"He's wonderful." Jaenelle smiled with open delight and sat down to let the cub take her scent. Kaelas' eyes widened in surprise - and the fascination of a Warlord Prince encountering a Queen. Another moment, and he'd claimed her lap as his own personal territory. Jaenelle laughed and brushed a caressing hand over his fur, but her eyes were serious when she looked up at Liriash. "What's worrying you?"
*He can't stay with me. I started weaving visions for him the night his mother died, and they all said the same thing. Jaenelle, he's meant to serve you.*
"Me?" She squeaked in startlement, and the Queenly mask fell away to reveal the she-kitten Liriash had known years ago. "How am I supposed to raise him?"
*He can groom himself now, and he's old enough for meat,* Liriash said pragmatically. *As for the rest - be yourself, and that will be enough.*
Kaelas had been following the conversation, and turned a thoughtful stare on Jaenelle. *Mother-who-died, and mother-who-takes-care-of-me. And now you. Three mothers, all for me. I like that.* His communication thread was all but vibrating with smugness, and he wriggled into a more comfortable position on Jaenelle's lap, obviously considering the matter settled.
It was in the nature of cubs to grow up and establish their own territory. _Both_ her cubs; she couldn't wait to see what Jaenelle would be like as a full-grown Queen. And if Kaelas could serve Witch, she'd release him with an open heart. She rubbed her cheek lightly across the top of his head and stepped backward. *Take good care of him, cub.*
*Always,* Jaenelle replied on a private distaff thread.
***************
Jaenelle and her escorts left just after sunset, catching the Winds with an excited Kaelas in tow. Liriash watched after them for longer than she meant to - she was glad for the cub, but she would miss his exuberant presence - and jumped when Sarahn padded up beside her.
*He'll be fine. We both know he had to grow up faster than most, and this is just the next step.* His psychic scent was flavored with the same blend of joy and sorrow that Liriash felt, and a touch of - loneliness? That didn't make sense.
*You miss him too,* she said in surprise.
He was silent for a long time. *Lady, I've sired several litters, for witches I respected and who respected me. Not one of them ever let me see the kittens, or do anything more than leave meat at a distance from the den. It was...it was good to see a kitten grow, to have a part in shaping a good Blood male. I wish I could do it again."
*But it's _dangerous_ to have a grown male near after a litter is born. Males can hurt kittens-*
*Some males. Sometimes. Mostly the young ones who can't yet control their instincts - and Lady, I'm far from young.* There was no embarrassment in his statement; Sarahn was still in his prime and proud of having survived to reach it. *I am as controlled as I choose to be.*
Words were not as important to Kindred as to humans - they clarified some things, but everything really important could be read in the body and psychic scent. So Liriash took a moment to consider the offer implicit in Sarahn's statement. Cubs and companionship, weighed against the chance that he might lose the battle with instinct and hurt those same cubs. But she'd trusted him with her life already; it might be safe to trust him with her cubs in the future. The only way to find out was by taking the risk.
She lifted her head to meet him eye-to-eye. *Show me.*
Liriash cared for the cub for almost a month while the coven recovered, doing what they could to restore land wounded in a pitched battle between human and kindred Blood. The land would heal eventually - this was ugly, but far from the devastation caused by all-out war - and caring for Kaelas gave her hope. She knew he wouldn't be hers long enough to watch him grow up, but it was good to have him here and now, his kitten cheerfulness easing the loss of her friends. Miya nursed the cub, and Sarahn watched him when Liriash was busy rebuilding her tattered, drained Webs. Kaelas wasn't sure about the adult male, alternating between hero-worship and a stubborn territoriality that made him bristle and hiss whenever Sarahn got too close to Liriash. She thought he'd make a fine Warlord Prince one day, once he got to be the same size as everything he tried to pick a fight with.
Winter eased into spring, and with the first touch of warmth on the breeze Jaenelle came back to the coven. She was older by far and less playful now, more like a grown witch with a few kills behind her than the half- weaned human cub Liriash had first met. She had a pair of males escorting her, an Eyrien Warlord Prince and a two-leg Warlord whose race Liriash didn't know. At first she thought the two males were hoping Jaenelle would choose one of them to father cubs, but as she watched, she realized the three of them acted more like littermates. Especially the Eyrien, who would have been pouncing on tails if the other two had them.
She watched worriedly as Falan paced slowly up to greet Jaenelle and be introduced to the two males, Lucivar and Khary. The old Queen was fading fast - they might lose her as soon as this winter - but spring warmth and delight in her friend's return lent a semblance of youth to her. Liriash hung back as the coven gathered around Jaenelle and her escorts; she was happy to see the she-kitten again, but she'd known for some time that Jaenelle's return would mean she lost her own kitten. Kaelas' path led him where Witch walked, and nothing she did would change that. Most of the time, she didn't want to change it.
She put the thoughts aside while she could and went to join the rest of the coven, keeping a curious eye on the two males Jaenelle had brought with her. Lucivar and Sarahn were eying each other speculatively, in one of those wordless male disputes over status that she'd never understood, and the human Warlord Khary was clearly trying to restrain himself from dropping to the ground and playing with the cubs that crowded curiously around. And she...well, she had to talk to Jaenelle.
But first she stepped up behind Khary with a nudge to his side. *Go ahead. If you're with the Lady, you can be trusted with cubs.* Then, with a touch of mostly-friendly malice, added, *Besides, they've chewed up everything in their dens already. They can just as well chew on you for a while.*
"I have a house full of Sceltie pups, Lady," he answered wryly. "There's not a part of me _or_ my house that hasn't been gnawed to a fare-thee- well."
"He's right," Jaenelle added, rising on her tiptoes to peek over Khary's shoulder at the cub he'd scooped up. "There's teethmarks over _everything_ in his house - it's all covered in dog hair, though, so it pretty much evens out."
Khary sputtered; Jaenelle grinned wickedly at him, gave a friendly head-rub to the kitten he was holding, and stepped aside to lay a hand on Liriash's shoulder, following her lead away from the crowd of humans and Kindred. "All right, I felt you start to worry the second we came here. What's wrong?"
*Nothing's wrong, exactly. But I have somebody who needs to meet you.*
Jaenelle tilted her head in confusion, but seemed perfectly willing to trust her, one Black Widow to another. Liriash lifted her head and chirruped softly, reaching for her briefly adopted cub with a delicate psychic tendril. There was a brief scuffle from within the tangle of cubs climbing all over Khary, and Kaelas bounced away from the other cubs and over to Liriash to rub his cheek against her forelegs - as high as he could reach as yet.
"He's wonderful." Jaenelle smiled with open delight and sat down to let the cub take her scent. Kaelas' eyes widened in surprise - and the fascination of a Warlord Prince encountering a Queen. Another moment, and he'd claimed her lap as his own personal territory. Jaenelle laughed and brushed a caressing hand over his fur, but her eyes were serious when she looked up at Liriash. "What's worrying you?"
*He can't stay with me. I started weaving visions for him the night his mother died, and they all said the same thing. Jaenelle, he's meant to serve you.*
"Me?" She squeaked in startlement, and the Queenly mask fell away to reveal the she-kitten Liriash had known years ago. "How am I supposed to raise him?"
*He can groom himself now, and he's old enough for meat,* Liriash said pragmatically. *As for the rest - be yourself, and that will be enough.*
Kaelas had been following the conversation, and turned a thoughtful stare on Jaenelle. *Mother-who-died, and mother-who-takes-care-of-me. And now you. Three mothers, all for me. I like that.* His communication thread was all but vibrating with smugness, and he wriggled into a more comfortable position on Jaenelle's lap, obviously considering the matter settled.
It was in the nature of cubs to grow up and establish their own territory. _Both_ her cubs; she couldn't wait to see what Jaenelle would be like as a full-grown Queen. And if Kaelas could serve Witch, she'd release him with an open heart. She rubbed her cheek lightly across the top of his head and stepped backward. *Take good care of him, cub.*
*Always,* Jaenelle replied on a private distaff thread.
***************
Jaenelle and her escorts left just after sunset, catching the Winds with an excited Kaelas in tow. Liriash watched after them for longer than she meant to - she was glad for the cub, but she would miss his exuberant presence - and jumped when Sarahn padded up beside her.
*He'll be fine. We both know he had to grow up faster than most, and this is just the next step.* His psychic scent was flavored with the same blend of joy and sorrow that Liriash felt, and a touch of - loneliness? That didn't make sense.
*You miss him too,* she said in surprise.
He was silent for a long time. *Lady, I've sired several litters, for witches I respected and who respected me. Not one of them ever let me see the kittens, or do anything more than leave meat at a distance from the den. It was...it was good to see a kitten grow, to have a part in shaping a good Blood male. I wish I could do it again."
*But it's _dangerous_ to have a grown male near after a litter is born. Males can hurt kittens-*
*Some males. Sometimes. Mostly the young ones who can't yet control their instincts - and Lady, I'm far from young.* There was no embarrassment in his statement; Sarahn was still in his prime and proud of having survived to reach it. *I am as controlled as I choose to be.*
Words were not as important to Kindred as to humans - they clarified some things, but everything really important could be read in the body and psychic scent. So Liriash took a moment to consider the offer implicit in Sarahn's statement. Cubs and companionship, weighed against the chance that he might lose the battle with instinct and hurt those same cubs. But she'd trusted him with her life already; it might be safe to trust him with her cubs in the future. The only way to find out was by taking the risk.
She lifted her head to meet him eye-to-eye. *Show me.*