Aiden didn't learn that he was in a snow leopard Keidran village until he had been there for two months. The chief, a female Keidran who was pregnant with her second child allowed for him to stay in their village. Eventually he started to learn their language, and they quickly understood that he was mostly harmless. Unless attacked. Bolka had broken several ribs when he was struck by the tree. He nearly died. But then there was Irra who was Aiden's care taker. She seemed to be more than amused that the boy could talk to plants. It wasn't until he was finally made into an apprentice healer that he realized everyone surrounding him wasn't human.
Everyone avoided touching him unless it was to shove him out of the way or drag him somewhere. But then when things finally calmed down a little Keidran girl hugged him. She was still hugging him now around the waste as he blinked wondering what was going on. He had patted her gently on the head and felt ears. Not human ears, but somewhat rounded but still triangular ears that were long and furry. She was giggling as he poked them and with her tiny hand she had grabbed his hand and rubbed her cheek affectionately against the back of his hand.
Things started to dawn on him slowly. The claws were claws, their furry jackets were actually apart of their body and their hands weren't gloved. They were covered in fur. And from how the little girl had brushed her tail across his knee, they had big bushy tails. He heard someone growling. A male. But then the sound of a loud smacking noise. " Stop growling. He isn't doing anything wrong." Irra said in Keidran.
The little girl walked beside him hanging on to his pants leg as he got up and beelined straight for Irra. The Keidran woman frowned. "Mina, you shouldn't play with the human. Your mother will be upset." Irra said. Aiden felt the girl hug his leg and hide behind him. Irra sighed. " Why shadow mother upset, Irra?" Aiden asked in broken Keidran. Irra was frowning at him. He couldn't tell until she spoke that she was not happy. " You are human and we are Keidran." Irra explained as if it was the simplest fact in the world. Aiden cocked his head and repeated the word he had heard Irra use to defend him so many times. "So?" He asked.
Irra sighed. She regretted using that word now. " Humans don't like us Keidrans. And we Keidrans do not like Humans. We have never been on good terms. We almost always fight." Irra said. Aiden sat down, more than happy to let Mina sit next to him. " Why?" Aiden asked her. Irra growled. " Stop asking questions! Humans hate Keidrans and Keidrans hate humans. It is because we are different from each other!" Irra yelled.
Aiden patted Mina on the head. " So?" He said trying to sound completely rhetorical. He got up and Mina followed him.
Irra would only become more frustrated with the human. And Aiden would only push the point that he didn't care if they were different as he learned more Keidran. It wasn't like he had eyes to see that they were different. Irra started arguing that he could still tell the difference. He only told her the difference was how they treated him. One day Irra had him cornered against a large tree, unable to get away. "So why do you think it doesn't matter? Why do you feel there isn't any difference?"Irra asked. Aiden looked towards her face then away. " No one else cares about me. This tribe is all I have. My parents sold me off .To... To that village planet user healer folks. When you found me, my old home... Was burned to ashes..." Aiden said looking away. They were all he had now.
Irra looked at him. " Did you ever wonder why your town was raised? Did you ever stop to think maybe we did it?" She asked him. Aiden's face looked at the ground with guilt. " I did a first... I thought you people were mean enough. I almost had friends and the day I went plant hunting... All that went away..." He said and looked up at her, his bandages becoming wet from his tears. " But you people... You aren't that mean! Here I am not ashes. Why?"
Irra looked at the young human. He was struggling with his Keidran. A naïve blind boy who couldn't believe people were so cruel. " Because we are afraid of you." Irra said very slowly so he could understand. " You are here because we don't want your kind to have you." Aiden was trembling. " Then... Why not burn me down? Trees won't hurt you after I die... They just go back to sleep..." He said and ran past her.
Irra watched him leave. In the forest he wasn't blind. Or so she though until he tripped over a rock. A male named Fen was there to pick him up. The boy just stood there for a moment quiet and distant before he stumbled onward.
Fen was an older male. Most Keidrans only lived to be maybe twenty one. He was into his early thirties. And it was showing from how gray his fur had become. " You should have just told him that it was wolf Keidran tribe that did it." Fen said calmly. Irra sighed. " I know father. I know. It just... Hurts to see how innocent he is." She said calmly.
Aiden was found the next day hanging from a cliff by the roots of a shrub that had saved him. The chief Pirrah, was beyond angry. After the boy was brought back Irra was staring at a heavily pregnant mother snow leopard Kiedran. Irra was punched in her cheek hard. Hard enough that she was knocked off her feet despite how well she had prepared for the blow. The chief stood over her now with a spear. " I have half the mind to throw you off that cliff myself. How dare you let him out of your sight!" The chieftain said growling furiously. "Chieftain Pirrah, please. Please calm yourself for your child's sake." Fen said not even looking at his daughter.
Irra laid there on the ground. Aiden had been found with a broken leg and a concision. They were not sure if he would wake up. " Why do you care about him so much Shadow Mother?" Irra asked. Pirrah lowered herself into a seat. " Because. He isn't like normal humans. He is blind to more than just what we see around us. To the color of his pale skin to each spot in our fur. He is also blind to the hatred his kind bares towards ours. And most of all, he is a child of the forest. Unlike normal humans, this land is more his than ours. You know nothing of the Leaf Whistlers." The chieftain said and rubbed her swollen belly. " They are a rare breed of humans. They use to be common in the age where we lived along side them without conflict. But now you are lucky to see one in your life time let alone a human's."
Irra continued to lay there on the floor. " He is still a human." Irra said calmly. Pirrah growled. " Than why did you defend him?" The mother countered. The younger female was silent. It wasn't just because she wanted to spite Bolka. She genuinely wanted to take care of him. " I will say this one last time. Leaf Whistlers are not like normal humans. Any Keidran can feel that the moment they meet one. That child didn't even have to speak for you to feel like he was helpless. To feel like you didn't want to hurt him. I'm sure that is what you think. That he is a helpless whelp. But I will tell you this, that whelp has a better chance to survive than you could in his condition. He has the forest and its wisdom. You would only have yourself. I won't banish you. Nor will I punish you any further. Get up!"
Irra finally sat up looking in disbelief. " Go and do your duty." Pirrah said and glared even harder at Irra. "And tell him the truth. Go!"
Irra stumbled out of the tent. She thought about it. How active the trees were, how he could easily find food for himself and how he learned things no one taught him. Then there was Mina. She clung to his side even when it brought her nothing but scorn. The child could sense what he was, perhaps stronger than any in their tribe. But Pirrah knew what he was. Irra walked into the tent where the healer was looking after the boy. Mina was right there by his side watching the healer try to fix the boy's leg.
Irra did not expect Mina to get in her way when she approached Aiden's bedside. The child hissed and growled. Telling her again and again 'NO!' The little girl was still young, but already knew how to talk well enough. But she didn't. Not until HE came. Irra stared at the boy. It wasn't until she closed her eyes to remember everything Pirrah had said and opened them again that she saw that was awake. His glassy green eyes that were blind. Something about them bothered her. Was it just that the way they looked? In a way they were pretty... But at the same time... Something about it bothered her.
"Aydee?" Mina asked looking worried. Aiden simply patted her head. Irra looked at the healer. An older Keidran woman who had a collection of magic crystals and a talent in healing magic. Irra sighed. She had to look after this human boy. At least until someone else did.
Aedin grew up with that tribe. Moving with the snow leopard Keidrans where the food was. Helping set camp, gathering herbs from pruning and learning from the healers magic and how to make certain poultices, salves and medicine. Where he went, the forest awoke. And when the forest awoke there was a plethora of knowledge they could offer... As well as warnings. It was Aiden's third year that they were 'visited' by a rival tribe. A tribe of wolf Keidrans who Aiden could hear were growling at them. "Why do you have a human Mother of Shadows?" The Father of Storms asked. Pirrah had simply smirked. " Why are you coming to visit us so well armed as if for war? Do you want to fight us? She asked with her three year old daughter hiding behind her and her seven year old daughter standing in front of Aiden. Mina may as well had been a young teenager by now, or just reaching her teens. She was almost as tall as Aiden.
" Don't avoid my question." The wolf Chief said. Pirrah smirked. " Than don't avoid mine. He is a forest child. A Leaf Whistler. You didn't bother to notice his presence did you? I would suggest you call off your men. They can't fight us and the trees and it would be foolish to set the forest ablaze." Aiden could feel the wolf chieftain was not convinced. " You may if you want. Please don't hurt him though." Aiden said and watched as a tree picked someone up. Someone he guessed was the wolf chief.
The teenage boy laughed when he heard the 'brave warrior' yelp in fright and start yelling to put him down. Many of his warriors were scattered. Trees were strong and tall Their limbs were tough and not easily broken. "Put my father down now!" A female voice yelled. Aiden could sense malevolent magic from her building up. He asked the tree to gently put the wolf chieftain down but couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Apparently though, trees have a mind of their own. It would not be wise to anger them." Pirrah said. Aiden could sense them leaving. The wolf chieftain must have been angry.
But that wasn't what Aiden was worried about. Pirrah's anger when she grabbed Aiden by the color of his new wool tunic worried him more. More than a thousand wolf chieftain's wrath. " You idiot. Are you trying to start a war between us?" She growled. But she couldn't help laughing. She let go and Aiden could hear her sigh. What was he to do? He thought about it. He almost made the chieftain jump out of her skin when he hugged her. " S-sorry!" Aiden stammered after letting go and backing away. He could feel her gaze on him but not her expression. He could hear the other tribe members whispering some just giggled or laughed softly.
Perhaps Pirrah wasn't exactly so ready to hug him, but there was one member of the tribe who was more than happy to. Mina almost never let him out of her sight and she was more than happy to hug him. She had taken over Irra's responsibility as his caretaker... Almost begging her mother to let her. No... She did beg her mother to let her. The two had become inseparable and Pirrah seemed to have no intentions of trying to separate them. Irra was not so happy to be relieved of her duty. She checked on him now and again but otherwise Mina took care of him.
In the first three years that he had stayed with them he had experienced death because Fen had died of old age. He had also experienced the joy of being able to teach someone his language, both spoken and written. As Mina became older she helped try to teach Aiden how to write. He was able to read by fallowing the grooves in the dirt with his fingers to get an idea of what letter and then word was written. Eventually, he became fluent in both languages.
As the years went by Mina only became more and more interested in human culture. By the time she was eleven she was making her plea to both Aiden and her mother to let her go with Aiden to the human world. She had been dressing like a human, learning everything she could and was even happy with the idea of pretending to be a slave. Aiden however was not so pleased with the idea. His home was here with everyone and the forest. He didn't want to leave. Mina hugged his arm tight. " Please? I can take care of you. I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to see the world! Read books that we don't have and talk to people other than the occasional wolf idiot or sassy tiger!" Mina said.
Pirrah, now up in her age looked at her daughter with a frown. She looked at Aiden who had grown to be a strong, calm, and good tempered man looked at her with a face that said he was very reluctant. Even if he did trust Mina. "This is his home as much as it is yours daughter. I know you can take care of yourself and him. You are a smart and an adult. So you have my blessing. But please, make it home safely when you tire of your adventure. That is, if you can convince that man there to take you." Pirrah said chuckling softly. Aiden looked towards her sadly and knelt down before the old chieftain. He had admired her for her kindness and strength and had slowly felt the pain of being someone so young, let alone being a human.
"Oh Aiden, do not despair. My time has been a longer one then I expected. I have two wonderful daughters and a strong son. Even if my oldest wants to gallivant the world I know my people are in good hands. I'm glad you made your home with us. And I know you will be welcomed to come back to us. So please don't you ave a long face like that." The feline said and bent down to hug him closely. She hackled when she saw the young man flustered that she was showing him such affection. " Oh, go on. You have been among the trees for too long. Go and visit the rest of the world!" The chieftain said and laughed when Mina dragged Aiden off.
" You heard her! That was an order!" The young feline Keidran said happily as she packed her and his things. Aiden felt a bit overwhelmed. Irra, who was only a few years younger than Pirra came to visit. " Setting off are you?" The cranky Keidran asked watching Mina flittered about. Aiden frowned. Irra bopped him on the head with a cane. " Stop that. This will be good for you! Why do you want to stay with a bunch of old cranky bag of bones like us?" Irra asked. Aiden sighed, and got bopped in the head again. " Here. I found this out in a cave a while ago. When times are at their worst, I'm sure he will help you." Irra said. Aiden looked surprised when she handed him a kind of vine. But it wasn't just any vine. It was a dragon made of vines.
The moment it touched his hands it sprung to life and wrapped itself around his left arm squeezing tightly until it somehow fused with his arm, leaving a dragon like mark. Aiden looked surprised. He could feel its presence, but despite that, it had gone to sleep. " My father once said long ago that there were tiny dragons made of plants that lived in these parts. Not in my wildest dreams as a little cub, would I have thought they were real. But I think he will help you. If you need it." Irra said and waved farewell. And with that, seven years spent with the snow leopard tribe came to a close as he was dragged off by Mina to venture towards human lands. He still remembered the many tribesman who treated him poorly, but over time had warmed up to him.
People that had disliked him were now wishing him well. Bolka was the only one left to have yelled 'good riddens' at him. Which made him laugh. Bolka never liked him.