A weaving tale of two Khajiit sisters, their destiny weaving and intertwining with one another. Growing up poor within the wall of Leyawiin they did not have much but they had each other and family, until one cruel day they are both left with nothing but each other.
It's then that they must run, run for their very lives! For they have been betrayed.
Being 8 and 10 years old they must stick together to survive.
And growing up with the constant taste for bloody revenge is a very strong motivator for survival...
‧͙⁺˚*･ Heart of a Lion ･*˚⁺‧͙
"Don't fall, fleabag." The argonian hissed as he dug another claw deep into the pebbled wall.
"This one will beat you." Malira grabbed another rock jutting out from the wall and pulled herself up higher.
"She's going to fall and break her neck." An older khajiit woman had stepped out of her house to see what all the commotion was about.
"What is she doing?"
Mirani sat nervously by, never taking her eyes off her sister, which was now growing smaller and smaller as she climbed higher up the wall.
The surrounding walls of Leyawiin were at least fifty feet high, the young argonians and khajiits always tempted fate by racing each other up the wall, the first to the top had to prove themselves by then jumping off into a nearby river placed just inside of the wall.
Being only ten years old, racing against a much older argonian was not very smart but the lizard had stolen her sister's stuffed Senche (fondly named Senchie), and it was the only way Malira could get it back.
Almost slipping, a loud gasp breathed from the building crowd, the argonian teen smiled as he whipped his tail over, attempting to swat her like a fly. Still hanging on, Malira continued to climb, finding a small foothold between two large rock slabs. She had the advantage - her paws were much smaller than the argonian's and could fit snugly between each large stone slab.
The only problem was climbing over the slab itself, to reach the next foothold she would have to scale each large squared boulder, each sized just a little higher than Malira was tall. She then made the mistake of looking down, her muscles tensed noticing how high she was, she swallowed tightly then saw Mirani, her sister - still waiting, still watching. That gave her courage enough to keep going.
Quickly turning back, she looked up, saw the next foothold and jumped…The argonian teen froze, eyes wide with surprise as he watched the little khajiit fling herself vertically up the wall, he would never have been so brave - or crazy - enough to do that!
Glaring up the wall, he suddenly wished he could produce lightning from his eyes, better to burn the clawed rat.
"What? You afraid?" Malira mocked. "Jaraleet is going to fall onto his lizard head!" Like salt into a wound, she pounced again, skipping yet another large slab, she was close now - only five stone slabs to go.
Malira jumped again, but this time with ease, a newly added confidence had filled her body, she was going to win. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she paused for a moment to look down, the look on Jaraleet's struggling face filled her with glee, he knew it too.
"What's wrong? Getting tired?" She laughed.
Before turning back she winked back down to Jaraleet, this filled him with so much rage he roared, the sound of his anger echoed out over the district.
Malira gasped, instantly regretting everything.
Jaraleet hissed angrily. He was not going to be made to look like a coward by some flea-bitten cat.
His long, strong leg muscles kicked into the wall, launching himself with such reckless disregard, he managed to skip at least 2 slabs up equal to Malira's height, Malira squealed as the argonian popped up next to her, they both paused glaring at each other.
"Come on! Are you going to let a cub beat you?" One of Jaraleet's friends mockingly yelled at him, even his friends were mocking him now. That scared him more than the potential fall, he couldn't lose to this kitten , losing would utterly ruin any image he had built amongst his friends. No - losing was not an option.
there was only one thing left he could do…
Looking down, he quickly checked if he was high enough and smiled to himself – yes, yes he was... No one would notice, licking his lips, he hissed menacingly.
Looking down and seeing his face made her swallow down a large lump of pure fear, Malira began to desperately scamper up the wall.
"Come here!" He hisses loudly.
Malira looked down, fear in her eyes, Jaraleet saw that and began to taunt her.
"Commme heeerree… Kittyyy - Kittyyy - KITTY!" He hissed, suddenly snapping at Malira's ankle.
He grabbed her ankle, digging his claws hard into her skin, she cried out in pain.
"What is it doing! Let go!" Malira cried as she clawed desperately to the wall, tears stinging her eyes as he began to slowly pull her body down.
"I've heard that catsss alwaysss land on their feet - let'sss find out!"
There was nothing she could do. Her tiny body forcefully flung from the wall, she began to fall - forty feet to the ground, clawing at the emptiness around her, arms flailing helplessly.
Seeing her sister suddenly separate from the wall, Mirani's heart exploded.
Her sister was dead. She couldn't watch. Clasping her paws tightly over her face, she cried out - screaming into them.
Hearing the surrounding gasps and murmurs of the crowd around her, she slowly began to open her eyes again.
"Malira!" She cried out hysterically. She couldn't see her sister, where was she? Mirani ran desperately to where she thought her sister had fallen.
To her relief and sudden build of anxiety she found her father, standing motionlessly holding Malira, did he catch her? Yes - she was moving.
"Is… Sister ok?" She hesitantly asked, sensing her father's anger.
He placed her down, Malira's face stuck shamefully to the ground, she had not only failed to win back Mirani's much-loved toy but was now in terrible trouble.
"Home." It was only one word, but the coldness in that one word was more than enough, both sisters folding back their ears in shame curled their tails underneath themselves as they slowly walked in the direction of their home.
Malira suddenly stopped, hearing the argonian cheers of Jaraleet's gang of friends.
She turned around and looked up at the wall.
He had just made it to the top of the wall. One arm outstretched in glorious triumph. He then turned and jumped, disappearing over the wall and into the nearby lake.
"Hopefully the lizard missed and planted itself like a Nirnroot," Malira said cynically.
Mirani giggled softly, grabbing her sister's hand, "Come, sister - mother, will be waiting ."
Malira nodded, signing down at her sister she continued to walk home, stomach clenched with impending punishment.
"Malira is sorry, this one will get back Sanchie." Malira meant that with every fibre of her heart - it had become... Personal.
"It is ok, sister," Mirani said, suddenly drooping like a wilted flower.
Their family wasn't well off, and that stuffed senche-tiger was her only toy, given to her by Malira the day she was born.
"No! It is not ok! This one will get it - that is a promise ." Malira sneered angrily. "And Malira does not break promises… Especially to her little sister."
‧͙⁺˚*･･*˚⁺‧͙
Arriving home felt almost as cold as their father's words, their mother answered the door; the look of disappointment was enough to turn both of their hearts to ice.
"No supper tonight… And mother does NOT want to see either of her daughters outside of their room !" Their mother growled as she pointed up the staircase.
They both began their shameful climb toward their room where punishment awaited them…
Their home was located within the poor district of Leyawiin.
A long street crowded by tall narrow houses, one side of the street khajiit families lived while the other side the argonians lived. Both races did not get on well with each other, a long-running feud that neither Malira nor Mirani understood, likely most of the city's inhabitants didn't know why either, it was just a well-known and very long-time existing fact - argonians and khajiits did not mix.
"Father is going to smack us," Mirani said as she curled up on her bed, snatching her pillow she hugged it close trying to comfort herself.
"What if he uses his belt?" Tears began to build up in her blue eyes.
Crawling up onto the bed, Malira wrapped an arm around her sister, pulling her close.
"It was this one's fault, Malira will make sure father does not punish you." She smiled down to her but stopped noticing the worried look on her face.
Seeing her hug, her pillow made her stomach knot, where did that lizard, Jaraleet keep Senchie? She knew he hid it somewhere. His small gang had a hideout located down by the poor district's river. A small bridge ran over it, maybe Senchie was located there?
Malira thought about it for a moment then nodded - yes, it was there, it had to be.
She would sneak out tonight while her family slept and rescue Sanchie, returning before sunup and no one would be the wiser.
They both jumped as the front door slammed closed, whispers could be heard before their father's loud heavy footsteps stomped up the house's staircase.
Malira slid off the bed, ready to present herself to her father, Mirani sat close behind, peeking out just enough to see their bedroom door.
The footsteps suddenly stopped atop the staircase. An audible sigh could be heard before the footsteps continued - now much lighter.
The bedroom door opened slowly; their father stood as he combed his claws through his thick white mane.
"This one was going to belt you. Daughter put herself at too much risk! Imagine if Malira fell - and in front of her sister!" He said, angrily pointing passed her shoulder to Mirani.
"How would Mother feel if you fell?"
"Father-."
"No!"
Raising his hand, he closed his eyes, pausing for what seemed like a long time. Opening them, his eyes were suddenly soft and full of pain.
"Father does not want to know why !" He growled. "As punishment... Both Malira and Mirani will decide who gets punished."
Both their jaws dropped as they slowly turned to face each other.
Malira knew instantly it had to be her, and it was her fault, not only for the trouble they were both in but it was also her fault Senchie had been taken in the first place.
Clenching her jaw closed, she snapped towards her father, chest puffed out and tail erect. "Father, Malira-"
"Mirani will take punishment." Pushing Malira aside, she stood straight and confident before her father.
Utterly speechless, Malira stood quietly behind her sister.
"Mirani did not climb the wall, but it was this one's fault that sister did ."
He sighed as he bucked his belt. "Malira, go to your sister."
Malira ran to her sister, throwing her arms around her, she had been belted many times before and was extremely relieved her little sister didn't have to experience it.
"Sister is proud; you are fearless." Tears rolled down her cheeks, landing in her sister's white hair-like mane.
"This one just wants to be brave like you," Mirani whispered.
"You have the heart of a lion, little Sister."