Xian ||
A gentle sigh left the dark maw of a lone Nahtlil. though the sigh was soft and silent it dragged meekly from her lips, it rolled loudly from her nostrils giving voice to the unspoken heaviness that rested on her chest. Elegantly perched on an obsidian pedestal, The soft moonlight reflected peacefully off it's glassy surface, giving her pristine alabaster pelt a ghostly glow. It was here, in the silence and slumber of the night that the red crane of the phoenix tribe could be found. Golden eyes fixated gently on the moon above...
It had been meany full moons passing, that they had remained hidden among the shards flats of the obsidian flow. It had been meany sun raises that she had placed her eyes on the sweet cub that with hopes one day would be Fire Lord. He had grown so much, and with the guidance of the Grand Weaver's paw, had grown stronger with every sun's passing.
It wouldn't be long before his paws carried him physically as an adult. Mentally, he has already surpassed newly woven and seasoned adults.
Taking in a deep breath, Xian peacefully closed her eyes. The Fan her bound had gave her remained still at her side, for tonight her thoughts where not with her beloved. No, this very night they cradled her guilt. It was a burden they threw on a sweet cub's shoulders and called in the Grand Weaver's will. It was a heaviness in knowing that she and both Volga had robbed a cubhood from Feng.....
Something, that in each day passing, with shedding of his soft cub fur, and with every new coarser coat that took it's place; gave evidence that the sweet cub would soon be grown....
Feng ||
The days were long and brutal, demanding more and more every single day. As he grew, so did the tasks he was given. There was no time to revel in the sucess of the day before, nor was there time to perfect what he had only barely accomplished, every line he was able to drag himself over had to be pushed further. Mornings began before the sun rise with sparring matches against Volga to showcase the accumulatio of his skills honed from the day before. Following that, he now had to hunt for his own meals. Whatever he ate, or didn't, it went down quickly before his next lesson. When the sun met the center of the sky, he was off to impress his lessons on his shield brothers and sisters, drilling them and along side them.
By the time the moons began to rise in place of the sun, he had exhausted every reservour of strength left. Most nights he dragged himself to his den and found a dreamless sleep within moments of laying against the stone.
That night, however, he had paused to stare at his reflection in the lake. He passed it every day, but most nights were so dark it was difficult to make out anything of value. This night, however, the larger of the two moons was full and the sky deprived of any whisps of cloud to break the light away from the earth below. For the first time in weeks he saw himself.
His stocky little legs had become almost comically long for his still growing body. His coat was peppered with disrupted fur- half from old scars and half with new ones. His horns were chipped and scratched from sparring. He raised a paw to a swollen spot on his cheek- a slight slip of judgment on his part.
He was bigger... but he didn't see anything but a footsoldier in the water. He didn't have the firey confidence of Volga or the frightning intelligence of Xian in his eyes. There was reservation and...fear.
He kicked a pebble into the water, disrupting it before he continued forward. He couldn't afford to lose himself in thought. Tomorrow would be harder.
Xian ||
Another heavy sigh left the White Nahtlil, and she slowly shook her head at her thoughts. All the wisdom and intellgance that she had been woven with, admittedly was bothersome at times. Her thoughts had always have been filled with something, if it wasn't that of strategy and how to present one's self to always have the upper paw. She was off alone and was dreaming about Oni, and if not that she was burden with the guilt she held for Feng. It almost was so much of a bother as of late to even go off alone, But still every night she wondered off to her same 'spot'. It was important for her to meditate and settle such thoughts, so that they remained in check and would not there to distract on the daily ones as well as lessons.
A dark slenderer ear turn back shifting her dark dark crimson lochs. Her thoughts finally where allowed to still themselves and her golden gaze slowly pulled themselves from the twins of the sky. Graceful tail shifted the fan from her side and brought the gift carefully to her maw. Nuzzling it gently, she allowed her regal gaze to close in a peaceful reminder....
"Tomorrow night, my love..." The soft words left the elegant and slender maw of the Nahtlil. She hadn't given Oni any of her thoughts that night, it would be something the following night he would be allowed to have.
Turning away from her perch, the sanguine crane's refined paw steps gracefully lead herself down the glassy shale path. Silently, her frame drifted across the terrine and just as she did every night; she heading towards the dens to check on her sweet cub. One that she trusted with be sleeping just as always after the grueling day. Lowering her head, golden horns tipped forward as her paw steps slowed and elongated in a prowl. The Nahtlil was very mindful as she approached the den, to be silent enough to not wake the young lord, but only check to see if he was sleeping peacefully.
As she drew closer to his spot and corner of the den, the tactician's golden gaze narrowed as the familiar and handsome cub lump was not in place. Stead beating heart leapt in a racing jogging pace as the Crane's dark main slowly rose; Lord Feng was not there. The tactican's thoughts reassured that he was safe, as he was a capable Adolescent and perhaps Volga had taken him out for some late training. Though the mother in her, told her that such thoughts where silly and incorrect. Which only brought worry and concern to her now racing heart. Graceful tail lowered the fan from maw and pelt and flicked it sharping to the side. Her elegant paws turned herself rather quickly from the den in a stead fast quick march, determined to prove her dooting Nahtlil thoughts wrong.
Feng ||
Feng continued along the water line, following the all too familiar path towards the high, steep cliffs that housed a few makeshift dens. They weren't anything fancy, nor would they provide them with enough shelter to hold off an enemy in the event of an invasion, but they were the only homes he had ever known. They often sloped inward and downward, smooth and cool and inviting. His own had a few pelts from prey beasts that he had managed to bring down- and a few that had been gifted to him by Volga. They were enough to keep him warm during the cooler nights and to provide his body a break from the feel of obsidian.
The moonlight glanced off of something up ahead. Instantly the youth was on alert. HIs head tossed up and his posture shifted. To the untrained eye he had simply frozen, but every muscle coiled in anticipation, his body switched to high alert, and his mind cleared to allow his senses to gather even the smallest of clues that would betray an approaching enemy. To his surprise, the figure moving towards him was the slender, graceful one of a nan.
...one he knew quite well in fact.
Frowning, he shifted out of his defensive stance and dropped his hind quarters to the ground. It dispelled the tension almost instantly and invited the other closer. "...Xian? It's a bit late...."
Xian ||
Starting over the slight ridge that lead down to the lake, The Nahtlil was careful and swift to make sure she was tracing the same path she knew her sweet cub would take. She had to make sure that she would not miss him coming up to the den just in case he had truelove just been staying out late. Surely she hadn't been in her quiet place much shorter then she usually was...
Perhaps she had been?
Reaching the top of the incline of shale, a breath of relief left the maw of the Tactician as she felt the smaller and familiar spirit of Feng. Oh good...
Gold eyes seemed to peicer the darkness as they rested themselves on the adolescent Tahtlil, his long legs and his still stocky cub like body cause a smile to rest on her maw. He was quick to respond, her skillful gaze did not miss his quick snappiness to become alert and poised. That and Soon, he would be bigger then him. Xian didn't doubt that the Grand Weaver had woven him strong...
Slider white and black paw steps slowly dropped her frame carefully down the slopped path, he pace no longer in a quicken state she allowed a calming breath to leave her. Her long white tail raised just a little to help balance the bob of her shoulders and hunches. Her ghostly form seemed drift across the path as she approached and paused in front of the young lord.
"How very observant of you, Sweet Cub." Xian smiled as she let her gentle words dance teasingly to the worn cub. As she drew closer, she gently placed a motherly kiss on his horned brow. Making sure to brush any of his hair from his gaze that shifted it's self in place as he 'flopped' to his sit.
"You are usually a sleep in your den right now." The Red Crane spoke her own observations, about his lack of rest and his trouble spirit. She didn't know it yet, but Mothers always knew....
Xain: Claim for magus and fire sage
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