Chapter 1: He'Tae
A boy no older then 17, no younger then 12 sat looking out into the woods, his mahogany eyes scanning for any movement in the dense brush. Several moments passes and he sat, the only movement was the rise and fall of his chest. A wave of raven colored hair rolled down his back, held in check only by a small scrap of hide. His skin was the color of the earth he sat on. A few more moments passes in silence, then the boy let out a long low howl that would have brought chills to anyone within hearing distance. After his solo had come to an end he once again sat still and silent, until he saw the telltale shifting of bushes, announcing a visitor. Out of the forest came a pure white wolf with eyes the color of the sky just before sunrise.
"Ka'ya ya'ah'tay shi'sha," he spoke softly. "Took you long enough little sister"
The wolf laid back her ears. 'Not my fault, mother was out and I have to watch Se'te and Ha'ne. I swear if they were min I'd eat them!' she spoke in the language of her people, which the boy knew almost as well as his own.
"Peace little sister, now you know how I felt about you at one time," he replied with a small tilt of his head, a wolf's smile. " I called you because Wan'bli told me of some strange thins happening in the land of the cats. Ka'ya, little sister, have you heard anything?"
'No big brother, but stories fly faster when carried on wings then by feet' she replied 'what did Wan'bli tell you?'
"That strangers had appeared in the land of the cats and that they seemed not to know of the danger they were in. Little sister would you be up for a run? I know how tired you must be after watching Se'te and Ha'ne," the boy teased
Ka'ya let out a quiet growl. 'I can run if you can big brother, you know how easily I can keep up with a two-legged, even you!'
"Fine let's go before it gets dark, nothing worse then being in the land of the cats in the dark" He replied
Both boy and wolf took off into the woods, the boy easily keeping up with this 4-legged sister. Soon they heard a cry from above announcing Wan'bli's addition to their little pack.
Sooner then they would have liked they arrived at the boundary to, Te'ne ala'ka ches'ka, the land of the cats. Before them stood 2 huge statues, each of a huge cat sitting looking down at them. The boy muttered a quiet prayer and his canine companion lowered her tail and ears in reverence of this most holy and dangerous place. The boy called up to the hawk in her own language as to not attract any attention.
'Where are the strangers?'
'Near the holy place' Wan'bli replied
'Are they crazy?!' the boy whistled in surprise.
'Either that or very stupid' the bird answered
The strange trio then headed off towards a place they had been warned against their whole lives.
'What were you doing flying around here anyways you silly little bird' the white wolf asked with a hint of annoyance, the boy wrote off as her fear showing through.
'The skies belong to us, not the cats, we are free to fly where we please' she replied with a hint of superiority
The wolf gave a snort that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, but the hawk didn't notice.
'OK Wan'bli where are they?' the boy asked. When suddenly they heard voices. After a moment of listening the boy looked to Ka'ya for confirmation.
'They do not speak any language that I have heard before,' she replied to his unspoken question.
'Better get them out of here before they become cat food' the boy replied
'Before WE become cat food,' the wolf said
'Yes that too' he remarked 'I'll go and try to get them out of here, you wait here'
'Swift feet big brother' she said
'Successful hunt little sister' he replied
With a small touch to her head the boy slowly made his way towards the strangers. As he neared he heard parts of their conversation, but could make no sense of it.
"So Carter, you said no sign of inhabitants right?" A low male voice said
"Right sir, at least not in this area, although there appear to be ruins nearby" a friendly female voice answered
"From the MALP readings they appear to be a cross between Egyptian and Native American, which is very odd." A second male voice said
"Right well, Daniel you've got your rocks, Carter's got her Naqueda, and I've got a headache, so let's make this snappy, ok kids?" The first male voice replied
The boy sat and watched these strangers. Strange was definitely the right word. Three of them were so pale they looked as if they had never seen the sun, and they forth was so dark he was almost black. He watched in amazement as this quartet walked by him. He quietly moved up ahead of them.
'Come on hurry up' came the call from above.
'I'm trying!' he replied sourly.
'Fine, but if you get eaten by cats, don't blame me!' came the sharp reply
'I'm going I'm going' he answered
The boy stood slowly as to not startle these strange strangers, then walked out onto the path in front of them.
"Shit! Carter! I thought you said no one was here!" The first male yelped He sounded an awful like a scared pup the boy decided.
"Sha'le!! Qe'ne'te ga'len" He said hoping they would understand the urgency in his voice, if not the words themselves "Sha'le!! Qe'ne'te ga'len" he tried again. He saw the second pale male look at him with some slight comprehension.
"Jack, the language it's some sort of cross between Egyptian and Native American, just like the ruins here!" He said excitement clearly visible on his face.
"Well that's nice, but what's he saying?" The first male said.
"Give me a minute," the other said
The boy while not understanding a word said understood, all too well, the cry from above 'CATS!!'
A boy no older then 17, no younger then 12 sat looking out into the woods, his mahogany eyes scanning for any movement in the dense brush. Several moments passes and he sat, the only movement was the rise and fall of his chest. A wave of raven colored hair rolled down his back, held in check only by a small scrap of hide. His skin was the color of the earth he sat on. A few more moments passes in silence, then the boy let out a long low howl that would have brought chills to anyone within hearing distance. After his solo had come to an end he once again sat still and silent, until he saw the telltale shifting of bushes, announcing a visitor. Out of the forest came a pure white wolf with eyes the color of the sky just before sunrise.
"Ka'ya ya'ah'tay shi'sha," he spoke softly. "Took you long enough little sister"
The wolf laid back her ears. 'Not my fault, mother was out and I have to watch Se'te and Ha'ne. I swear if they were min I'd eat them!' she spoke in the language of her people, which the boy knew almost as well as his own.
"Peace little sister, now you know how I felt about you at one time," he replied with a small tilt of his head, a wolf's smile. " I called you because Wan'bli told me of some strange thins happening in the land of the cats. Ka'ya, little sister, have you heard anything?"
'No big brother, but stories fly faster when carried on wings then by feet' she replied 'what did Wan'bli tell you?'
"That strangers had appeared in the land of the cats and that they seemed not to know of the danger they were in. Little sister would you be up for a run? I know how tired you must be after watching Se'te and Ha'ne," the boy teased
Ka'ya let out a quiet growl. 'I can run if you can big brother, you know how easily I can keep up with a two-legged, even you!'
"Fine let's go before it gets dark, nothing worse then being in the land of the cats in the dark" He replied
Both boy and wolf took off into the woods, the boy easily keeping up with this 4-legged sister. Soon they heard a cry from above announcing Wan'bli's addition to their little pack.
Sooner then they would have liked they arrived at the boundary to, Te'ne ala'ka ches'ka, the land of the cats. Before them stood 2 huge statues, each of a huge cat sitting looking down at them. The boy muttered a quiet prayer and his canine companion lowered her tail and ears in reverence of this most holy and dangerous place. The boy called up to the hawk in her own language as to not attract any attention.
'Where are the strangers?'
'Near the holy place' Wan'bli replied
'Are they crazy?!' the boy whistled in surprise.
'Either that or very stupid' the bird answered
The strange trio then headed off towards a place they had been warned against their whole lives.
'What were you doing flying around here anyways you silly little bird' the white wolf asked with a hint of annoyance, the boy wrote off as her fear showing through.
'The skies belong to us, not the cats, we are free to fly where we please' she replied with a hint of superiority
The wolf gave a snort that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, but the hawk didn't notice.
'OK Wan'bli where are they?' the boy asked. When suddenly they heard voices. After a moment of listening the boy looked to Ka'ya for confirmation.
'They do not speak any language that I have heard before,' she replied to his unspoken question.
'Better get them out of here before they become cat food' the boy replied
'Before WE become cat food,' the wolf said
'Yes that too' he remarked 'I'll go and try to get them out of here, you wait here'
'Swift feet big brother' she said
'Successful hunt little sister' he replied
With a small touch to her head the boy slowly made his way towards the strangers. As he neared he heard parts of their conversation, but could make no sense of it.
"So Carter, you said no sign of inhabitants right?" A low male voice said
"Right sir, at least not in this area, although there appear to be ruins nearby" a friendly female voice answered
"From the MALP readings they appear to be a cross between Egyptian and Native American, which is very odd." A second male voice said
"Right well, Daniel you've got your rocks, Carter's got her Naqueda, and I've got a headache, so let's make this snappy, ok kids?" The first male voice replied
The boy sat and watched these strangers. Strange was definitely the right word. Three of them were so pale they looked as if they had never seen the sun, and they forth was so dark he was almost black. He watched in amazement as this quartet walked by him. He quietly moved up ahead of them.
'Come on hurry up' came the call from above.
'I'm trying!' he replied sourly.
'Fine, but if you get eaten by cats, don't blame me!' came the sharp reply
'I'm going I'm going' he answered
The boy stood slowly as to not startle these strange strangers, then walked out onto the path in front of them.
"Shit! Carter! I thought you said no one was here!" The first male yelped He sounded an awful like a scared pup the boy decided.
"Sha'le!! Qe'ne'te ga'len" He said hoping they would understand the urgency in his voice, if not the words themselves "Sha'le!! Qe'ne'te ga'len" he tried again. He saw the second pale male look at him with some slight comprehension.
"Jack, the language it's some sort of cross between Egyptian and Native American, just like the ruins here!" He said excitement clearly visible on his face.
"Well that's nice, but what's he saying?" The first male said.
"Give me a minute," the other said
The boy while not understanding a word said understood, all too well, the cry from above 'CATS!!'
