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 Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 12:46 pm
“I used to,” he replied. “Dreamt about it all the time. I wanted to find a magic feather… but that was a long time ago.”He was completely balmy. And yet… there was something endearing about that. A little leopard with big dreams. Crazy dreams – but pleasant ones, from the sound of it. “What’d the feather do?”“It’d let me fly,” he said. There was something in his voice, some unexpressed longing, that announced that deep down he still wanted to do just that.“Like… turn into a bird, or -?”“Oh, no. I… don’t think so. I don’t know, I never found it. And it was a long time ago.”“I don’t think you’d make a very good bird. Leopards are better anyway. You just need to climb more trees; trees won’t let you down. Very dependable.”“I suppose…”“I’ve never had a tree break on me. Some do – but I know trees. I know the way they sound in the wind, the way they feel under my paws. I know when they can carry me or not.”“Do the trees talk to you?”“Talk?”“Like… whisper secrets about the things they see."
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:00 pm
Esen looked at the way Tendaji’s eyes shone, the first time she had seen them like that. Uncharacteristically she said, “Mostly trees just talk about themselves.” There. Only half a lie.
“Ah,” he said, accepting it matter of factly. He grinned at Esen. “The wind is a terrible gossip. Talks about everyone.”
“And what has the… wind… said about me?”
“That you’re big and fat and purple.” Tendaji grinned, feeling oddly at ease, but soon grew serious once more. “The wind says…” he paused, staring at the sky. “The wind says that you’re a long way from home, but not much of a traveler. You have a home and you know it’s waiting. You’re not… ladylike… but that’s all right. You’re strong, you can look after yourself.” He turned to look at her. “You won’t hurt anyone. Not without warning and not… not unless you have too. Only in a fight.
“And the wind says you don’t believe I can listen to it,” he added, turning away once more.
“I’ve never met anyone who can talk to the wind,” said Esen matter of factly.
“Not talk, listen. It’s different.”
“Listening’s easier then?”
“No, harder.”
“Ah.”
They sat in companionable silence for a little while. “Do you like your pride very much?” Tendaji asked suddenly.
“It’s home,” said Esen. “Lots of trees. And I’m good at my job – I guard things. Keep an eye on strangers, make sure they won’t hurt anyone.”
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:02 pm
“I used to live in a pride,” said Tendaji, “but I never liked it much. It wasn’t very nice. Lots of leopards and lions and hybrids. A cheetah or two. Most of ‘em mean. Angry. Lots of fights. I can’t ever go back… don’t wanna, really, but I can’t. Leaving is forever.”
“My pride’s not much like that. Only leopards, although hybrids can stay until they’re grown. It’s all scholars or mostly so. I’m not clever, but I’m big. Good at my job. And it’s an important job.”
“There are lots of dangerous folk out there,” Tendaji agreed with a shiver.
“It’s safer in a pride…”
But Tendaji was already shaking his head. “This is where my family lives. We’re happy here. And I’m not leaving. Not ever again.”
“I never had much of a family,” Esen said softly, “just my brothers… my mother was barely there, I never knew my father. And I haven’t seen my brothers in a good long while.”
“You should find them again. It was lonely, being away from my brothers… and all the rest of my family. I missed them a whole bunch. But I couldn’t leave. I wanted to, but I couldn’t.”
“Easy, I believe you. But no, I don’t think I’ll try to find my brothers. They have their own lives to live. They looked after me, growing up – but I’m grown now, I found a home. They have their own homes, their own worries. Sometimes families grow apart – but that’s all right.”
“I don’t want to lose any more family,” Tendaji said with a growl.
“Ah! So you’ve already lost some them?”
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Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 1:04 pm
“Rynskald,” Tendaji said darkly, “and some sisters. Half siblings. Nieces, nephews. I have a big family, not all of them stayed. But I’m not going to lose mom or dad or Izin or Kamau or Cari. Not even Safi.”
Esen hid a grin. “You don’t like Safi much, do you?”
“He’s a jerk,” Tendaji said, “but he’s still family.”
Esen didn’t bring up the fact that Tendaji had been quick to try and foist her off on this jerk brother of his. Nor did she mention that while Safi might be a jerk, he was a handsome jerk. “Family’s what you make of it,” she said. “It’s no use liking somebody just because they’re related.”
“I suppose…” he said, thinking of Rynskald and his birth father. He didn’t think of either of them as family – not really. Abrafo had raised him, Abrafo was his father. His life in the Bhanu’Eccumati felt distant, unreal. That was a different Tendaji. Leaving the Bhanu’Eccumati had changed him – and so had his mistress. He shuddered, feeling a chill run down his spine. He felt uncomfortably close to Esen, but reminded himself once again that she had never hurt him. And it was daylight, they were outside. No reason to feel claustrophobic or afraid. Tujil-dasu was nearby and she would never, ever let anything bad happen to him.
Esen noticed Tendaji’s shudder, but didn’t say anything. One of these days he was going to shake himself to pieces. “It’s something to think about,” she said. “But if family means that much to you… then I suppose it’s a good thing.”
“It is,” said Tendaji. “We look after each other.”
“Speaking of looking after…” Esen said, turning to look at Tujil-dasu’s poorly hidden form in the distance.
Tendaji grinned. “I’d better go reassure her that you haven’t eaten me,” he said.
“Aye,” said Esen, watching him go. They had made progress today – perhaps soon he’d stop being afraid of her long enough to pick up on that open invitation. She was going perfectly mad without men in her life. Once more her thoughts turned to Safi, but she shook her head. First things first – she had come here for Tendaji.
Word count: 1,079
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