The Tiger Within

Cora"s warm garnet eyes were like ice shards peering into Talis" soul . The scales that were barely visible at the edge of her hairline seemed to materialize lower down like tendrils of snake skin covering her human skin like a sheath . These features coupled with a scowl were more than a little unsettling and perhaps even frightening to the boy if he cared to admit it .

"Harmless? Did you just call a Hot Trap Harmlesssss?" her last s slurred as her tongue reformed to a fork . Her body beginning to blur and reform into the snake that was her second form .

Advertis.e.m.e.ntKyera set her pot down and raised her hand in a silencing motion . "Cora, the boy doesn"t know . " she reminded, setting her palm on Cora"s barely formed shoulder . The serpent"s eyes never left the boy, but her form returned to normal, pale ivory skin replacing scales .

"Forgive me Kyera . Please . Teach him before he meets someone more determined to give him a sharp lesson . " Cora replied picking up the pot she had dropped as she shifted forms .

"For future reference, ever call hot Traps Harmless . " Kyera said with a shake of her head trying to break the three inch thick Ice that just formed on their conversation . "So, Hot Traps can"t kill you, but they are nearly impossible to escape . The trapper gathers the poor soul and takes them away . Never has someone who was trapped returned . "

"Never returned?" Talis asked seeming concerned . Verone nodded, leaning back against the tree and saying nothing . His family had been fortunate enough to avoid this fate for many generations so they did not speak of it often . Perhaps that was a mistake?

While Verone pondered this, Cora nodded opening her mouth to speak, but stopping . Kyera waits, giving the girl a chance to say her piece . "The law of the Jungle that you have been taught is what keeps them from returning . It"s ironic but still so very true . "

"Talis, the law of the Jungle forbids us to endanger our clans . The people and animals taken are bound by magic contract . " Kyera continued with a heavy sigh . The two women shared sad looks, garnet ice softening and the hints of pain that had frozen her gaze now more apparent .

"The contracts are not fair . Unless you are very talented, like our Kyera here and able to communicate when in tiger form you can"t debate the terms . All you can do is allow the mark to be placed or fight it and die . " Verone added, taking pity on both women, knowing they had not been so lucky . Cora"s elder sister had fell to the Trappers as had Kyera"s dearest friend . So many had been lost both beast and Kin . It was hard not to hate the humans for what they have done .

"But . . why don"t we go free them? Why do we let them take our people? Isn"t it the guard"s job to defend them?" Talis asked, his ignorance a treasure that none of the older three had the luxury of . They had been forced to grow up quicker than most . Cora looked away, the memory of saying something similar to Kyera when her sister was taken still a wound in her heart .

"We have tried . We can only free them up until the Mark is placed . However, we must also be weary . Sometimes the mark placed will let them leave but will trace them till the day they die . To free them without having that mark removed is to d.a.m.n them to living alone for the rest of their lives . " Kyera replied looking out at the trees behind them, watching as children had begun to gather and play their games in the square . "That"s why jungle law can be a double edged sword . It protects us, but it can also limit us as to what we can do for our taken children . " The words fell from her lips, heavy on her heart as it was on the hearts of every leader here .

Protecting the people fell upon the shoulders of the Family Heads and the shoulders of the guard . Nothing was more painful than knowing that their duty was to protect, and that was the one thing they could not do .