Moonrise
Chapter 8
This Land
"It is my first time in an enchanted castle.."
The sun began to set over the dark castle, soon casting a shadow over the animal kingdom. The dark one approached the home she had to leave behind, and at her side the daughter she'd have to leave behind. To help the creature balance herself and to avoid her getting lost, she had clipped a lead to her collar. She bent down and the two began to speak, Nimue through her vocalization and Elizabeth through the magical translator that had been placed on her collar. Having been mute in life, it allowed her to have a voice as the collar translated her now feline mews, roars, and chirps into human language. The she imp looked up at her adoptive mother, her amber eyes shining in the light. "Do ya have to go?" the young she imp sat beside her on pride rock to save her strength. Everything hurt so much. Her ordeal had made her weak and so did her new power. She sensed that what was coming was going to hurt even more.
Nimue turned towards her, tears welling in her eyes as she bent down to her level, taking her light one's golden skinned cheeks in her hands and rubbing them with her thumbs. Elizabeth, who now preferred only Nimue to call her so(hearing the name her father used in anger so many times, it was only natural). "I must, young one. I'm so sorry." She bit her lip. Elizabeth tried not to show the tears that were welling up into her eyes. She was eternally grateful for her second chance but at the same time, part of the reason why she had agreed to take this mantle was that she could be with the only mother she had ever known forever. Secretly the power meant nothing to the now she imp. Her crown was not the reason why she had agreed to cross back over the bitfrost. She was hoping to finally have a loving mother, for as much as she had longed for clean food and water and a warm place to sleep, love was something she desperately needed. She had also been working up the courage to tell Nimue about some desires to be cared for like a wee one, along with the animal like instincts that were coming to the surface.
Nimue cleared her throat of a sob as she opened a book she was carrying. "My little one. Do ye know why your sword is broken?" Goldenstar cocked her head to one side like a cat and chirped. "No. Why, mother?" Nimue closed her eyes and a sad smile crossed her face at being called this. She opened her book, the book of the dark and light and showed her charge an illustration of Excalibur when it was whole. She circled a claw around the end that was now missing. "The sword represents more than just your rule. It represents our kinship, our curse. Anyone who owns the end of the sword can control me. And if that happens…" Nimue cleared her throat once more, Goldenstar tearing up at the mental anguish and grief brewing in her mother's eyes. "They can use me to hurt ye. Anyone can control me with that dagger. But only I can use your sword against ye. I can't let that happen. I won't hurt ye. I won't let ye be hurt by your own again." She felt Nimue's hand trace over her eye scar, the gentle touch of her finger a contrast to the whip that had caused it.
"And someone has my knife. We need to separate, my dearie. Arthur can never know about the other end. Sword and the dagger must be apart. And so we must be apart too." Nimue's voice cracked as tears began to stream down Goldenstar's cheeks. "Mother…you're a slave?!" She gasped, yowling in alarm. She shook her head. As her beastly instincts rose up she began pacing in a line back and forth on her arm crutches like a caged tiger, stumbling in her steps as she tried to find her footing in her uncoordinated body and the exhaustion from her former life. She felt caged. She felt helpless. Her own adoptive mother who had freed her from slavery of her former life was a slave herself. But she could do something about it, right!? Even though she knew nothing of how to use her power yet, she could change into a big cat. She could maul the so called king and free her mother. She was no longer that sad abused farm girl. She was a lion. A tiger. A feral she cat. A queen.
It was as if Nimue could read her thoughts. She brought her daughter into her arms and shook her head. "No child. For yer own good ye need to stay away from me. You're very very weak. Ye are still very badly injured. Ye are a novice witch and though your power is great ye don't know what you're doing yet." Goldenstar didn't feel like a queen all the sudden. When she was in her mother's embrace she felt like a tiny helpless kit who just longed for a warm loving touch. She clung to her desperately, shedding tears into her black cloak. "Mum. I'll be trained…a..and I promise I'll free ye. One day I'll get ye out of there. And I'll get the knife back." Nimue's soft amber eyes though they held her gaze through the darkness. She could see love and pride shining within them. "One day I promise ye will chase those humans, those slobbering mangy stupid poachers from dawn until dusk. But..not yet. We'll be together again one day. Even if it's in a different way…a different time…a different lif…" the dark one's voice faltered. Her image shimmered in red smoke.
She was being taken away from her. Goldenstar sobbed and held onto her tightly, shaking her head. "No!" She whined and mewled desperately like a tiny cub. Nimue shook, her hands shaking as she placed the book in the young imp's hands along with an iron key. "In this book is every spell your father and I ever wrote. Ye have special abilities from Loki and Freya. They cannot stay either, but every century they will be permitted to visit. Ye have special abilities to change your shape into any cat from Starclan. This key is to the dark castle. It's high time ye lived inside. Tis your home now. No one will ever hurt ye. Ye will be free. Learn. Rest. Recover. Rule your kingdom and your pride. For now ye must continue this journey alone. But my home is yours. My staff is yours. Whenever ye feel alone, look up to Silverpelt, to Starclan. And know that the kings of the past will always be there to guide ye. And so will I." Nimue was beginning to disappear into a cloud of red smoke, tears streaming down her cheeks as she kissed her child's forehead for the last time. Goldenstar pressed her head against hers, sobbing and purring at the same time.
When she disappeared, she turned her broken heart and body towards an old lioness that was approaching her. She suddenly felt her pain, weakness and tiredness. She felt the aches in her bones, the lashes stinging across her back, how tired she was from a harsh life. The sword she was carrying on her hip and the antler circlet on her head seemed heavier than before. The lioness approaching was older than the others. Her muzzle had gone grey but her eyes glittered with wisdom. She bowed before Goldenstar but the Queen of the animal kingdom really felt as if she should be bowing to her. "My queen. My name is Sarabi Goldenpride. I raised your mother and…another child.." at her pause, Goldenstar noticed how Sarabi growled in distaste and wrinkled her muzzle at the mention of the other child. "..when they were abandoned by their parents. I feel a responsibility towards you, as you are like my grandcub. May I help you inside? Please…indulge an old lion." Goldenstar of course couldn't refuse her. She felt the weakness in her body like she never had before. She needed help this time. And now she was unafraid to ask for it for the first time. She had longed for family and always wondered what it would be like to have a grandmother. For now, it quelled the feeling of sadness from losing her mother.
She nodded and placed her arm around Sarabi's body. She nuzzled into her warm fur as the large lioness steadied her on the side that held her bad knee. She could really feel that broken knee now. Warm tears gathered in her eyes and she blinked them back having inherited endurance of the cheetah. The imp gasped as the castle came into view. Though it looked forbidding covered in snow and nestled within the mountains, to Goldenstar it was the most beautiful castle she had ever seen. She lived here?! The animal kingdom was beautiful and this castle was just gorgeous. She almost fell over, overcome by her pain and by the beauty of her new home. She had spent her whole life sleeping on the bare floor or in the hay. And now she had a whole castle she could call home. She only wished she could have a mother to call home as well. The she imp's heels of her new boots clicked in a hobbling gait against the stone floors as the castle door swung open and echoed in the darkness. Her eyes boggled at the dark beauty and the size of the place. The foyer was entirely black and white marble and dark stone, adorned with statues of dragons and lions.
She could feel weakness and pain ready to make her collapse. "Where's the nearest bedroom?" Her voice was translated as she panted with effort. Sarabi nodded and urged her on. "Right this way to the west wing. Your mother had the stairs turned into ramps for you." The winding stone ramp that had once been a staircase was a gentle climb now for her and the lioness. However for someone with bone cancer and severe injuries it was still difficult. She could only imagine what it would have been like if these were still stairs. Her mother was still caring for her, and once again she felt that warmth as if she were still in her arms. No one had ever been that thoughtful to accommodate for her. As it was getting late the light was fading, so she reached for the candelabra. As she gripped its gilded body with her teeth a heavy Avolonean accent spoke…from the object! "Bonjour, my young queen!" She nearly dropped it out of her mouth, nearly hitting the wall of the stone corridor because she jumped so high in shock in a catlike fashion. Her hair and tail puffed and expanded in fright. "Ahhh!" She hissed around the metal. Sarabi on the other hand was perfectly calm. "It's alright, your majesty." The candelabra spoke. "I am Lumiere, manager of the household and main host. I work for your mother, and now I shall work for you."
Looking down at the candelabra and narrowing her eyes, she could easily see that there was a face carved into the ornate metalwork. Not only was the object alive, but she could see fine in the darkness, even out of her scarred eye. Of course, cats could see in the dark. Her newly feline amber eyes reflected the dim light. "I'm so sorry. Did I mishandle ye? Listen." She took a deep breath mostly to calm herself down as she'd never been in an enchanted castle before and her newly realized catlike features were overwhelming. "I don't want ye to be afraid of me. I've been on the other end of the servant's quarters. Ye don't have to bend over backwards for me." She chirped sheepishly. "I'm not higher than anyone in this castle. I just…want to be free." Lumiere bowed anyway. "My young one. Soon you will learn that you deserve respect. But if you wish, we shall be on friendly terms." She nodded and smiled in thanks showing her fang like front canines. "Thanks Lumiere. I can use a friend." She admitted as she hung onto Sarabi and made her way into the west wing.
She had figured out quickly that the servants in this castle had all been turned into objects. Or perhaps they always were. She could ask later, but for the time she just wanted to sleep. All the sudden she had grown so tired. The room which was large enough to fit a barn had a huge comfortable bed in the middle of it. She had never slept in a real bed before. She approached it and let her tired body sink into it. It felt like laying on a cloud. Gods it felt so good. Sarabi nuzzled her face with her snout and rubbed her head against Goldenstar's head and shoulder, the imp rubbing her body against hers affectionately and letting out a purr. Just as always, the animals were family to her. She heard her own purring this time, no different than a normal housecat, rumbling through her throat. "I must return to the pride, my lady. I will lead your kingdom until you heal enough to join us. On the outside…at least."
"I'm…fine." The she imp lied. She was pushing down feelings she couldn't yet feel. Not yet. She needed to numb what happened to her. She didn't want to remember. She didn't want to talk. The wounds her father had caused her would heal on the outside. That would be the end of it. Sarabi nodded in understanding and licked her cheek, bringing a smile to the girl's lips. She involuntarily let out a high pitched amused giggle, weak as it was. "Get some rest…my cub." She nosed her and turned around. She could hear her whispering under her breath. "Oh Mufasa. Please help her." After Sarabi left, the door opened again. A tray barreled in on its own accord, carrying a teapot and a little cup with a gentle swirling blue pattern on each, each making out the outlines of faces. The teapot spoke in a voice that she guessed belonged to a matron. It was a kind, warm but firm voice. "Hello young Mistress. My name is Mrs. Potts. This is my son." The teacup looked to Goldenstar and grinned. "Wanna see me do a trick?!"
Goldenstar couldn't pass that up. He sounded so excited…and she in her childish nature really wanted to see him do it. No matter how hurt she was it was her first night in an enchanted castle. "Aye! Yeah, show me!" In spite of her injured state, her eyes grew big and kitten like and her tail twitched. She sat up painfully and grinned. She had always loved seeing Nimue do this and a flame of excitement was growing within her when it came to using her own powers. The cup concentrated hard until the tea started to bubble as if it was boiling, his mother giving him a look for being improper in front of the new queen. He giggled and Goldenstar burst out giggling as well in a high pitched impish manner before promptly laying back when she felt the burst of pain hit her back from laughing so hard. "Ow ow. T..that was a good trick. He's fine, Mrs. Potts. Really."
The coat rack began placing fresh towels on the bed as Mrs. Potts poured warm water in a wash basin. As the wardrobe laid out a comfortable change of clothes for her including the softest cleanest nightgown she had ever seen she blushed behind her golden skin. She'd need something else now. Her pelvis had been damaged beyond repair and her control over her bladder even before she died was slowly slipping away from her due to trauma and her illness. Besides, she was free now. If she needed something to make her life easier…and being her a feeling of comfort…perhaps to satisfy an innocent desire to be cared for she could do so now without fear. Besides, now it was a necessity. That fact didn't stop her cheeks from burning like embers and her tail from curling around her in fear and embarrassment. "Mrs Potts. Uh…." Goldenstar flushed. "I actually need something else…I…" Mrs. Potts chuckled, her laughter sounding like china clinking gently. "It's alright m'dear. Your mother told me about your needs before she left. There's nothing to be ashamed of." The coat hanger gently placed a stack of cloth diapers and some safety pins on the dresser next to the wash basin within her girl's reach so she could change herself when needed. "That was a very brave thing you did, standing up to your father like that." The wardrobe spoke in a deep feminine voice. "We all think so."
She was about to speak when her ears twitched. She smelled a change in the air. Thunder hooked in the distance as rain began to splatter the windows of the room that faced the Pridelands. The sound of the thunder at first made her nervous and memories of being forced to sleep out in that weather cropped up in her mind. Once they passed, however, the smell of rain began to soothe her. She couldn't resist. Getting up on her arm crutches she hobbled painfully and in a wobbling pattern towards the window. Even in the storm, the animal kingdom that surrounded the dark castle was beautiful. The created environment that serves as a refuge to animals far from their home country was self sustaining like any other ecosystem. The rain would wash away the yearly brush fire burns and bring new life and water. It may have been raining, but rain would help the land heal. From her new knowledge of how the biosphere connected to the rest of the earth, hope came to her as well. If this land could heal after every season, perhaps one day she would too.