Legends of Belariath

Cirri

Shadow Dancer Chapter Two

As they looked at one another, Rawour pointed to the entrance of the cave. His eyes glittered in the semi-dark of the cave and Cirri stood there, almost toe to toe with him, looking up at her father, daring him to make her leave. He growled at her, testing her mettle almost as his powerful roar echoed within the cave. Cirri stood there, folding her arms over her chest and waited. Many had tried to intimidate her and she had been the runt of the pack long enough to know that if she showed any weakness she would be conquered.

The wolven male smiled and nodded to his cub. He spoke, his voice low, the growl reverberating against his throat. “I cannot teach you to hunt while we stand in here and face one another. Outside with you.”

“You first.”

He looked at her, knowing that they would be there all day long if this continued and he did something he had not done in the pat fifteen years. A small chuckle replaced the growl and upon his muzzle a smiled appeared.

“You are mine. I will go first, this time. But you will learn to trust and share with others.” He moved to go out of the cave, turning his back to her, showing his trust in her. Cirri watched him carefully and her tail began to lash back and forth. Her first impulse was to attack him, to bite and claw at the male who had abandoned her. She knew that Throanna had taught her that it was not his fault, that he was grieving for his mate, but Cirri resented the male who had never been there for her. She growled and started to walk past him, bumping in to him roughly as she thwapped him with her tail and strode outside.

As she walked past him, Rawour chuckled to himself. She has spirit that is for certain. Perhaps she can be trained to do something for the pack. He watched her make the way down the incline, struggling, yet never once asking for assistance. Throughout the years he had watched her from the distance and he thought about what she was like while a cub. The wolven smiled with a small amount of pride in the fighter spirit within her and how she never relented or gave in to others. Stubborn pride that she inherited no doubt from himself.

Both stood in the light of the morning, their fur a contrast between light and dark. Cirri watched him carefully, not trusting him at all. Her tail flickered, showing her agitation and he eyed her carefully.

“You will learn to hunt properly girl. None of this prancing in the forest and being noisy. Too long have you tried to move through the grass to only lose your prey because they hear you coming from far away. Stealth is the key to hunting. To watch and listen. To pounce when they are at their weakest. You are the hunter. You are the one that controls the hunt, not the prey. Remember that.” He nodded to her and started to head towards the tree line. Stopping for a moment, he looked around, his body tense, yet he looked as if he was ready to pounce at any moment. Eyes glittering in the morning light, the large wolven male scanned the area, knowing that something was out there just beyond their sight.

Motioning to the young girl, Rawour had her gaze upon the bushes. Cirri saw nothing and she tilted her head, waiting to see what was coming out of the thicket. Soon a small doe could be seen walking with her fawn, innocent to the hunters that were in hiding near by. Rawour cautiously watched the pair, his tail being controlled so that it did not move as he readied himself for the hunt. Cirri growled as she saw the doe and she sprung out of hiding, loping closer to the prey. As Cirri made her move, the two deer looked up and saw the would-be huntress and sprinted off through the woods to safety. Not understanding what had happened, Cirri stopped short and she blinked, watching them leave. Turning back to her teacher, she saw that he was not pleased with what she did. Instead he growled at her and stood up, arms folded across his massive chest and eyes flashing dark red while his tail lashed back and forth in agitation.

“Get over here now, cub,” he growled at her. Her once swishing tail slowed and drooped behind her as she heard his admonishment. Cirri walked back to him and looked at him quizzically.

“I thought we were hunting, not watching.”

“Hunting more than running after a piece of meat girl. It is knowing your enemy and learning how they move that is important to a hunter. If you do not know how they live, then you will not know their weaknesses and therefore be able to take them down with ease. You have to learn these things girl.”

Glaring at the male she spat back at him, “Oh and you know so much. So much that you leave the entire pack. Did you study me? Did you learn my habits?” She turned to walk away from him. As she moved away, the rush of wind before the thud of the large body against her small form whistled against her fur. Falling to the hard ground, Cirri growled and tried to bite and claw at Rawour.

He took it for only a moment, looking at her and then smacking her off of his body, making sure that she could see his anger. “You have had enough for today. Tomorrow I think you will learn how to deal with silence in the hunt. Right now we both need to eat and rest. It is tomorrow that you will start your true lessons.”

The wolven male walked from his offspring, not paying attention to her and moving silently into the woods. He needed to seek some peacefulness while she raised his anger and hurt. As he went off, Cirri huffed and went up to the cave. She walked in and noted that nothing had changed in the years since her birth. Nothing had been cleaned and she started to work at cleaning things up. Moving to the fire, she scooped up the ashes, placing them in a wooden container for use later. She had everything cleaned and she put on some tea for later, curling up on the floor by the fire, waiting for that brute to return once more to the cave.

Outside, Rawour moved to a large rock, sitting upon it and watching the other creatures of the forest. He glanced up at the cave and wondered what the runt was doing to the place. He hoped that she would not find some of the treasures that had been hidden in some of the recesses of the cave. Time seemed to drift past him as he contemplated what to do for this child that had been thrust upon him. It would take all of his patience in order for him to teach her, yet he did not even want to look at her for her face only mirrored his beloved.

Howling loudly, the man stood up and cursed the heavens. As he spoke a summer storm sprang forth and the lightening began to strike from above. He jumped, shocked and chanted a soft prayer to the ancestors, offering repentance and he shook his head, wondering why they were paying such close attention to him of late. Looking back at the cave he knew. Since the say she sprang forth from her mother’s womb that girl had been marked by the spirits and he knew that to trifle with them would mean calamity for himself.

As the rain started to splatter against his silken fur, the wolven made his way once more up to the cave and stepped within. There the girl lay sleeping, curled up on the floor next to the warm fire. He watched her, his gaze never wavering as she slumbered without knowledge of who she was or anything special about her. Smirking he leaned back against the wall and started to drift, dreaming of that night that had stolen everything from him. The night wore on and both rested fitfully as the fire slowly burned to nothing before them in the safety of the cave while the storm waters beat against the rock in protestation.

Cirri slept on the soft earth floor as night waned. The fire that had been stoked properly before she had fallen asleep had been reduced to a few burning embers, glowing as red as a wolven's eyes in anger. Rawour sat there watching his child and could do nothing while she slept. A thousand thoughts rolled through his mind, yet the girl slept on, not knowing she was being watched, only the tension of her own haunted dreams coming into her mind as she lay there unaware.

Waking before Cirri, the tawny wolven looked down to the sleeping child before the fire the glowing embers of the fire sending dancing shadows flickering about them. It had been a long evening, watching and sleeping. Night had turned to day as he passed his time trying to gauge how he would deal with this hate filled girl. His head turned to look back towards the cave opening seeing the sun burning away the darkness.

“Get up,” was all that he would say, watching her carefully to see how soundly the girl slept.

Cirri mumbled in her sleep and the girl rolled over, not really wanting to pay attention to the little growl and just wanting to sleep some more. She was used to doing her own thing and wandering out on her own at her own hours. Batting away at the noise, the girl rolled over and curled up into a little ball, not wanting to rise.

The first attempt gone ignored he simply rose up and from where he had been watching. Crossing over to the other side of the dying fire, Rawour’s gaze narrowed and his foot lashed out to kick at her side, slightly jarring the girl awake. She needed to learn the lessons of the cruelties of the world and he would make sure that those lessons were taught completely so that the runt that had been thrust upon him would thrive.

“Just so you know, when I say get up, I mean get up, not roll around like a cub that has just been whelped.”

Cirri yelped and she looked up, blinking and trying to focus. She saw the larger male and she narrowed her eyes, glaring at him, “You didn't have to do that old man.” She dusted herself off and stood up, her tail lashing back and forth rapidly as she watched him stand there so superior.

He simply turned to move back towards the opening of the cave then “The next time you ignore what I tell you to do it will be much worse runt.” The tall wolven spoke then walked out of the cave to stand in the gathering morning, wondering if she would dare attack him again as she did yesterday. Her temper would cause her much grief, yet perhaps with his training she would be able to survive the worst of the troubles her acid tongue would get her into.

Watching him make his way out of the cave, her first instinct was to run at him, yet she knew better. He had taken her more than once already and was much stronger and twice her size. Staring at him and then at the dying embers, she quickly put dirt over them, smothering the last tendrils of flame from their resting place. The young girl watched him as he left the cave and she muttered softly to herself, knowing full well that his acute hearing would pick up on some of the sound, cursing this man who had sired her. She began walking from the cave and down the path, not watching him, yet hitting him with her small bushy tail as she went past him.

With a soft growl escaping his throat as that tail hit him on her way past him, he watched her go down the path to the base of the cliff. He waited then moved to follow her along that trail his eyes watching how she moved. His keen senses catching her derisive remarks and his muzzle moved into a sneer and he moved to stand next to the small offspring.

Cirri watched around her, sniffing the air and really not caring about much. She had always been left to her own devices and never answered to anyone but her foster mother. She closed her eyes at that and then glanced back at him once more. That hate that boiled within her threatened to consume her, yet she stopped, looking at him, his eyes were filled with the same anger, his grey orbs matching her own as they stood there in the morning light. “So now what do we do?”

Rawour’s anger showed through in every action he took towards her. Every action and every word positively dripped it like venom. He simply moved to walk past her and more down the trail his thoughts swarming in his mind. Why should he bother teaching this runt the ways of the hunter? He thought for a moment and then looked up to the skies, knowing full well why he should take his time in pursuing this endeavor. He did not have to like the situation to deal with it and other things had made him suffer before, this would only be a new task to get him through the coldness of his dead heart.

Watching him go past her, she smirked at him, knowing that look all too well for it was the one that stared at her when she looked into the river and glanced into her own eyes. The wolven girl turned and looked at him, “Of course the stories about your hunting prowess must have been greatly exaggerated. You couldn't hunt a rabbit in the snow.” She mocked him openly and crossed her hands over her breast, her tail swishing back and forth rapidly.

The jibe made him stop in his tracks anger rising as he almost quivered with the restrained feelings. His head swiveled to look back at her. “Shut your mouth, runt. The way you move you would not get close to anything to attempt a killing blow. Anything in this forest would have heard you coming a mile off,” he said before continuing on down the path

Cirri growled at him, her temper flaring at his insult. “I can walk without being heard!” She screamed at him and stomped towards the woods, making more noise than a small child in the yard. She thrashed through the ground and broke twigs in her anger, not caring what he said as she moved through the underbrush.

Rawour heard the stomping moving off towards the woods. Shaking his head slowly, he turned to look towards her lifting his head slightly he just watches her moving off for now. Soon enough he thought to himself, she will learn that nothing will ever go her way just because of her stubborn pride.

Meanwhile, Cirri moved to a tree and she sat down at the base, muttering to herself while she picked up a rock, throwing it at another tree. “Stupid hunter. Who cares. He never cared for me. Never cared about those bullies that taunted me, only cared about himself sitting on that high mountain and watching the village, mourning after a woman that died because of me.” She sighed softly, looking at the woods and wondering why she even bothered. He was right, she was only a runt that knew nothing. No one wanted to train her in anything and certainly no one wanted her for a mate. She sat there, letting her own fears overtake her. Off through the bushes though a beast sat watching, looking at the young girl as an easy prey. The giant tiger knew nothing of Rawour, only the tasty morsel that had wandered into its hunting ground.

The hunter watched her go but his senses told him something else was out there. He and the runt were not alone as he listened and his head held upwards letting the scents filter into his nose. He growled lightly before he moved forward into the forests as well though he did not move with her untrained gait he moved with the skill and grace of a hunter

Cirri threw another rock at the trunk and she heard the rustling of the tree and she looked in the direction of the tiger and she called out, “Oh yes great hunter, I can hear you.” She called out foolishly. She stood up and waited for him and then her eyes widened as she sees the tiger come into view and the young girl started to run in the other direction as the loping animal came closer to her, growling as the hunter calls to warn its prey before death.

The scream of the tiger made Rawour burst into a full lope towards the noise. He knew that she was not ready to face such a challenge and that he instead would have to once again save her retched life. Damn it he hated that runt. Yet, if anyone or anything was going to kill her it was going to be him. The large Wolven easily made his way through the forests as he lifted his voice to call out to her, “Run towards me, Runt!”

Cirri heard him call to her and in her fear she ignored the comment about her size, knowing that he could at least help her. She ran quickly behind him as the tiger came at the two of them. Stopping once she was behind her father, turning and looking at him as he began to take on the beast. Watching in horrid fascination, the girl wondered if both of them would be dying that day. The tiger saw the other prey and it moved to leap at the large wolven, its claws outstretched as it leapt, raking down against the flesh of the man's chest and looking down ready to strike.

His eyes leveled at the tiger his large hand dropped down and to his side ripping the long bladed hunting knife from it's sheath. The large wolven waited letting the tiger leap before he would dash forward head ducking down under those outstretched paws before attempting to slam his shoulder up and into the stomach of the tiger

Cirri watched as the tiger and wolf wrestled with one another on the soft grass. She could not believe that he was taking on the large predator and was even amazed at how he had gotten atop of the creature whilst the jaws of the cat tried to clamp down on the Rawour's throat, unable to get a clear grasp of the male's flesh.

Rawour howled in anger as the jaws tried to clamp down and onto his neck one strong arm was shoved upwards forearm slammed into the cat's neck to hold it at bay. The other arm holding that hunting knife would slam upwards to lance the sharp blade deep into the creature's chest. As the life of the tiger ebbed from him with the spilling of his blood, the tiger gave up to the wolven male. The tall wolven howled, lost within the thrall of the kill, the pleasure of the hunt as he had conquered his prey as well as death one more time.

The tiger growled as the tail stopped twitching and the beast fell silent under the wolven. Nothing was heard but a bird off in the distance signaling the passing of the beast that had gone from hunter to hunted. Cirri looked at her father and she slowly stepped forward, her tail drooped between her legs and looking down, “I am sorry.” She said softly, her voice losing the razor's edge it had held before. She noted his strength and power and wondered what would happen if she were to truly learn what he had to offer her in the way of education.

Tired from the battle, the wolven panted loudly in exertion as he pushed himself up from atop the tiger. His paws and fur covered in blood as he stood staring down at the tiger before his eyes lifted to her. “Skin the beast... its hide will make a fine cloak.” is all he said before turning and moving through the woods and towards a nearby stream

Cirri looked at the beast and then took a hold of the knife and began to cut the skin of the tiger carefully. She worked the blade well and pulled it from the flesh of the beast without tearing or hurting the fur of the animal. She watched for a moment as Rawour headed off and she thought about how he fought and how he just left without a mere thought to her or what had happened. She resented her small offer for peace and she kept to her task instead, thinking about some day being able to take down a cat herself, despite her smaller size.

Not even bothering to watch his child take care of the beast, Rawour moved to the stream hands dipping into the water to wash the blood away from them before he drops his things and moves out and into the stream. Settling himself down he let the water wash the blood away from his body

Cirri looked at the carcass of the beast and she lifted the muzzle of the animal and then started to work the teeth out of the beast, taking the sharpest ones and putting them in her pouch. She moved to the claws of the animal and did the same, carefully taking them out and yet nothing else as she looked at the animal. The carrion feeders would take care of the carcass as she knew that they would not eat of the predator. Once she was done, she rolled up the pelt and lifted it upon her shoulders, nearly falling under its weight, yet she did not complain, only moved towards where Rawour had gone by the stream. Wordlessly the wolven girl sat down and waited to hear what she needed to do next. She had to get the fur cured, but would not move out of the forest without him until she had how to move as silently as he.

Standing up from the water, he moved to the stream bank shaking free of most of the water. Clouds broke apart and the sky gleamed a brilliant blue in the sunlight. The day spoke softly, calling to the inner beast of all those that had killed, taking the time to caress within Rawour’s heart the importance of training the young one. He moved back and to his weapons belt and such dressing again as he looked to her for a moment. He then turned and walked back into the forest moving towards the cave though he spoke not a word

Cirri growled softly and she picked up the carcass once again, “You could have at least offered to carry the stupid thing.” She muttered softly as she lumbered her way back to the cave, doing her best to hold on while she climbed up to the high cave. Once inside, she looked around and then dumped the carcass on the ground close to the cooled embers of past fires in a bucket. She folded her arms once more across her chest and stood there, not saying a word to him and just staring at his form while they squared off once more.

Watching her for a moment, the older wolven knew better than to take the bait of the fiery youth, he simply stated as he watched her, knowing that his non-response to her taunt would raise her ire more than another argument, “You almost got killed because you were stupid... keep that up and I won't have to train you cause you'll be dead. Now get the hide prepared.” After speaking he moved outside the cave sitting on the ledge out there eyes staring off and into the forests

Cirri sat down on the ground, not willing to argue with him. He was right and her own foolishness nearly got both of hem killed. She unrolled the hide and carefully scraped off the sinew and the small amounts of fat that had been left upon the carcass. She placed the fat within the large wooden bowl and took some of the ash, carefully mixing the two until it was the right mixture. As she worked, she hummed, off key, trying to keep focus upon the carcass as she cured the hide so that the fur would not fall off. As she was finished, she dug a hole near the fire, carefully placing the pelt into the hole and covering it up so that it would cure unmolested until it was ready to be stretched and worked.

As Rawour walked outside, the small figure of the shaman stood facing the cave, looking into his eyes. She smiled at him and waited, not paying attention to the girl within, only the tortured soul that needed to search for his own peace. Rawour’s eyes never wavered from the shaman. “It's her fault my mate is dead... and I am left with that runt. Go away and leave to teach as I see fit.

She smirked at him and bowed, “As you wish Rawour, but remember, your “runt” was marked, never judge the pup by the manner in which she was born.” With that the shaman turned and disappeared into the day, a wisp of nothing to mark her passing.

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