The Tiger Within

The Palace of Dancing Winds

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 .
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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 .