The Tiger Within

Sunlight was turning the land golden as it slowly set beyond the mountain tops. The Palace walls took on the crimson hues as the shadows slowly darkened to a shade of black in their deepest places and faded to the dusky rose at their edge. Candles lit the rooms within, casting their glow onto the windows and into the coming night. Maids and Guards made their preparations for the night to come. Maids stoking fires to ward off the chill, or lighting the candles and turning down bed sheets in the bed rooms. The Guards swapped off the evening information and shifts.

Princess Raina waited impatiently for her father to return. She wanted to meet her new family member already! The servants talk, and Raina was a smart child despite what they thought. One could write and leaves drop at the same time, just because it wasn"t lady like didn"t make it impractical. At any rate, its only impolite if you get caught.

Needless to say, when she saw two shapes making their way up the path from the Palace her face lit up. One was not human, but a frown appeared on her face as she stared. The frown turned to shock and delight as she recognized the Tigress that rescued her.

As they neared, she got out of the window, and stood by the door elegantly. Raina tried very hard to look like a princess in every sense of the word as the guard opened the door for her father and the White tigress.

Clovis looked more energetic than she had seen in a while. Relieved that her father seemed happy, Raina curtsied before hugging him. He chuckled and picked her up, but was surprised at the betrayed look on her face as she looked at him then to the tiger. Realizing her displeasure, Clovis chuckled at her innocents.

"Now, Raina you have to take it slow. Moon is a little shy of contact. Her shoulder is wounded as well." Clovis explained, having had a reason for picking her up. Raina looked down at the tigress and noticed the fresh bandages.

"Yes Daddy, now let me down, please?" Raina asked turning hopeful eyes on her father. Clovis sighed, setting her on the ground. Kyera smiled inwardly and b.u.mped her head into Raina"s chest. She purred sweetly trying to reinforce the "I like you" in cat in a way the humans would understand.

Clovis watched a bit surprised as Raina hugged the large tigger, apparently with the beast"s consent. Kyera"s purrs grew softer as Raina looked at her wound. "Welcome home, Moon." Raina greeted happily.

Kyera knew the child meant nothing by those words. She didn"t know how much pain that very concept brought to Kyera"s soft spot. Looking away to hide her sad eyes, she began to investigate the smells of the house from a tiger perspective. It was totally different from human and to be honest this was her first time here in either form. It made her all the more sensitive to every site and smell.

The little one"s main scents made sense now. There was water in every room, sitting in bowls on pedestals or in gla.s.s ornaments hanging in the air. Kyera recognized most of them as protective talismans and the pools of water were believed to drain negativity and bring balance. She felt unusually pleased to know Raina"s home kept this particular ritual alive.

She continued through the house searching for entrances and exits in the home. If these humans were to be her villagers for the time being, then she shall protect them as she would her people. At least until she could go home.

"what are you doing, Moon?" Raina asked curiously. The tigress looked back at her and chuffed softly.

"Protecting your home." Kyera replied softly in the child"s language. Since she already knew she could talk and Clovis hadn"t followed her it was safe.

"Oh but I have guards. You don"t need to worry about that." Raina explained chuckling a bit. Her childlike innocence was heartwarming and also terrifying for a protector.

"little one… so did my brothers and I." Kyera thought, pain in her pretty eyes but she didn"t say it aloud. A child held guards on a pedestal as unwavering protectors. It was a level of trust Kyera missed dearly. She had only had that trust with one person since she was young and now they were separated.