Legends of Belariath

Cirri

Shadow Dancer Chapter Three

“That is unfair,” she glared at her father as she struggled to get out of the snow bank that he had pushed her into. Winter had come at last to the two in training, the summer and fall having passed quickly through trials of battle and of will between the two wolven. They had at last come to a tenuous accord, knowing that at any moment the treaty the placed would crumble to nothingness once more.

“Who ever said that anything in life was fair? Do you think your prey will be fair? They will not be.” The tall wolven male stood over her and watched his daughter carefully. The long dead part of his heart kindled to life as he watched, So much like her mother, he thought for a moment and then the pain that had frozen within him warmed away the ice.

Cirri finally managed to work her way out of the deep snow and she looked upon her father, smirking to herself. While he stood lost in thought, the young girl took the opportunity and she dove at his legs, sending the two of them into the opposite bank. The cold of the snow hit the unlikely pair’s fur, making them both tremble as they tried to get the wet snow from them.

Brought out of his day dram, Rawour growled, twisting and pinning Cirri. His eyes glowed deep red and then he did something that he had never done in front of her before. He smiled at his offspring. As if dark had turned to day, the attitude of the large male shifted and he saw not only the runt that had been the bane of his life for the past fourteen years, but the child of his soul.

“Well done,” was all he said to her as he rose up and began to walk up the path.

Standing up with glistening moisture, the girl felt her own tears sting her cheek. She had waited fourteen years for anything from him, even a nod that demonstrated she existed in his world. Finally she received a brief moment of acceptance to her father for her hard work. Looking up into the dim winter sky, Cirri noticed a bright star shining down upon her face. Almost as if the lone star caressed her muzzle and she thought once more of her departed mother, hoping that the woman continued her vigil over those that she had left behind.

Making her way slowly back towards the cave, Cirri made sure to watch carefully for any tracks within the snow. She knew in her heart that after such an admission from Rawour he would counter with an attack. Tired of the constant testing, she vowed silently to herself that she would not be caught unaware again. The trees almost seemed alive with gossip as she moved. Winter’s grasp was waning and soon it would be spring once more. The snow, slushy from the warming weather, easily betrayed something worse than a passing beast. More like someone. Cirri paused, glancing around to see what possibly could be hidden within the tree line.

Kneeling down, the girl checked the print and knew that others of her pack moved within the woods. She took a moment to gather her focus, to think upon what her father would do in this instance and she pulled out her belt knife, readying herself for any unwarranted attack.

From the darkness of the trees, she heard a cruel laugh and knew that her childhood bullies had once more walked into her life. Standing up, she waited to see what they would do to her. Out from the shadows, the trio emerged and smirked at the runt girl.

“Well well well, look at who is here without protection of their esteemed father. The little runt.” Hrrurran smirked at her and then stepped up, “Why don’t you go frolic and leave the hunting to the real members of the pack runt?” He taunted her, looming over her small stature while the other two moved away from him, encircling the girl.

“I don’t think that I have to do a damn thing you say flea bag.” She spoke softly, her hand flexing upon her knife as she felt her anger rising within her. Knowing that her father would be only a call away if she chose, her mind thought upon the possibilities and then she stood her ground, wanting to prove herself against these bullies.

Hrrurran watched her and inwardly he laughed at the audacity Cirri demonstrated. Soon enough he would have her begging at his heels, admitting her weakness and the burden upon the pack she had become. Watching her carefully, the brut stepped closer and he continued to taunt her.

“You will have to do what I tell you. I am stronger than you, little omega. You are nothing to the pack and you must listen to those who are above you in all things. No one wants you, but I might have an interest in you, if you can learn to behave like a proper little bitch.”

“You wouldn’t know what to do with a girl if you had a manual. Go away and chase your tail, Hrrurran.”

He stepped closer, glaring at the girl, “I know what to do with the likes of you. You are not worthy to be a mate for anyone. Just a servant and a lapdog for your betters.”

“You are nothing at all but a blight upon the belly of the pack. You make me sick.” She turned and went to move away as if dismissing him from her presence. As she moved, the others looked at her and growled, closing the gap and not letting her pass.

“Oh I do not think that you will be going much of anywhere little bitch.” He smirked as he moved a little closer to her, not quite touching her though.

“I will go where I please!” She shouted at him, her eyes sparkling with anger. She turned upon him, looking into his eyes, defying his supposed dominance over her body.

“You will do nothing, you are nothing. I am surprised Rawour hasn’t killed you yet and rid the world of your filth.”

As he spoke, she lost what little left of her temper and she growled loudly, running for him, raising the dagger in her hand and she tried her best to get him, yet as she moved clear, he whipped around and grabbed her hand, throwing her to the ground. Laughing at the girl, he swiftly kicked her side, letting her feel the pain of the kick before speaking.

“You are nothing. You will always be nothing. Now I will prove to you that the weak have no place in our pack.”

He kicked her once more, the other two wolven moved closer and the other two pulled the girl up, holding her as she winced from the pain of the abuse. She looked at Hrrurran with pure hatred, yet she did nothing to call out.

Again and again Hrrurran lifted his massive fist and punched the girl. She felt the searing pain running rampant over her body while he hit her. The blinding white light of pain crossed her eyes when he slammed his fist against her face, the snap of her jaw sounding as a loud crack against her ears. She whimpered softly, yet she only looked at him, tears streaming down her face while he took control and abused her slight body. The forest silenced around the attack, bereft of any welcoming sound. Minutes stretched endlessly while the three bullies continued their onslaught upon Cirri’s body. She could do nothing, not even kick back as they held her tightly while Hrruaan showered her with hits.

After an eternity of pain, they finally dropped the girl upon the forest floor, the snow, stained with the crimson of her own life’s blood, hissed with the heat of the girl’s body. She curled up and Hrrurran laughed sadistically at the girl while he placed another kick upon her belly.

“You will learn, little bitch. I will see to that.”

The three laughed at the girl, then noticed a soft rustling sound. Quickly the three melted back into the shadows of the forest, right when Rawour appeared into the small clearing. His eyes glowed brightly and then he spotted his child, unmoving upon the snow. Not thinking of anything else, he ran to her and gently lifted her from the frozen ground, his eyes misting with pain as he saw the broken child.

Opening her eyes, Cirri looked upon her father’s face and she coughed, some blood appearing upon her muzzle, “I didn’t back down….” She spoke softly as he held her.

“I know little one. I know. Shhh. I have to get you home.”

She smiled softly and she closed her eyes, wincing with every step that they made back to the cave. Lost within her own blinding pain, she barely recognized the scent of her father as he carried her. Nuzzling against the stronger male, she fell into a dream that took her beyond the pain and anguish of the attack.

Night came and surrounded the girl. Stars shined brightly and the gods looked down upon the girl. Cirri stood there among the stars and her tears fell silent, not understanding what was going on. As she stared upon the stars, one stood out brighter than the rest and she reached up, trying to grasp the lone star that called to her.

“Not yet little one. You are not ready. Soon. Soon you will know your path. It is not that of your father, yet you must learn from him. You must listen.” The soft voice spoke against her ear.

Cirri listened and she cried as the brightness of the star overwhelmed her and then she saw nothing but light before the black.

Waking at last, Cirri looked around the cave and she smelt the fire burning. Looking around, she noticed that Rawour was staring at her intently. Pain filled his eyes as he stood his vigil over his offspring. He had kept watch over her while she rested, knowing that her injuries were far worse than he had imagined. While she had been out, the shaman had come once more to tend the girl. Rawour could do nothing but watch as the bones were set and the girl cried out in her dream filled state. So much had happened to make him think of what his daughter was. She indeed carried the spirit of a warrior, while her body could never be that.

Walking over to the shaman, Rawour spoke softly, “How can I prepare her for anything? She is so fragile.”

“She is far stronger than you can imagine and she will indeed have an impact that neither one of us can know about. But you need to teach her to be strong through the pain. She will suffer more than we can imagine and this is just the beginning. Steal her heart so that she will have the means to survive.”

“How?”

“By being who you are Rawour.”

He looked at the old woman and he nodded, “Yes Mother.”

She smiled at him and touched his cheek before she left him alone. Rawour watched as the woman left him once more and disappeared into the snow. His life certainly called in a different direction than which he had wanted. Glancing at the sleeping girl he sighed and turned his back on the cold of winter and flamed the fire so that its heat would help the girl more. Keeping the herbs the shaman had left ready and water there for the girl, he sat there and watched her, waiting and hoping she would survive the night.

“Rawour, you look like you have aged a year.” Cirri spoke and he looked at her, smiling sadly.

“You will age me beyond my years my little one. I foresee more grey upon my fur before we are done with one another.” He poured the heated water in the mug and placed the herbs within while he watched her struggle to sit up once again, “Do not try to sit little one. You have been greatly injured and you cannot move well yet. We will suspend lessons until you are healed and I see that you are fit to continue.”

“I am not a weakling!” She shouted at him and tried to sit up, defying his order. As she did so, her body screamed in pain from the bones and she fell back whimpering slightly and sweat pouring down her cheeks.

“You are too little one and you will obey me.” She glared at him and he chuckled at her, handing her the tea that he had made for her. Her hands reached out, trembling slightly and she took the cup, sipping slowly and feeling the heat of the liquid course through her sore body. Laying back, Cirri watched him for a moment and then she nodded, sighing softly.

“It is not fair that the big always pick on the small.” She muttered softly, frustrated that she could do no better.

“You will have something else Cirri. I promise you. While you will never be as large as others of our race, you have a purity of soul that few possess.”

Stopping for a moment her eyes widened as she heard him, unsure of why he was being so magnanimous. Nodding to him while sipping her coffee she watched him and the fire, being drawn to the flames and their heat. As the flames flickered in the dim light of the cave, Cirri thought of what he said. A part of her resented that she would never be the strong warrior that he was, nor that she could openly stand up against those that were bigger than herself, yet she knew that something wit hin her would keep her thriving.

“It seems that I have learned more than one lesson today then, haven’t I? That I cannot be what I want to be, yet I can be something more than I am. You knew that I could not defeat anyone like that, yet you allowed me the honour of trying while I stood my ground. Thank you.”

He looked at her and smiled with a pride that had been held back for so long. This girl indeed was more than a runt reject, she was something that had strength he could not fathom, strength of the soul. Perhaps the shaman was right and Cirri would indeed change all of their lives, if she could survive her youth. Her delicate features reminded her of his mate, yet within the girl herself, she held the gentleness of spirit that he could not understand. So much had to be learned for both of them and while his lessons slammed against him, he felt the stirring within him that wanted to shelter his child from the pain he knew she would endure.

“How long must I stay like this then?” She sighed, watching him, almost feeling uncomfortable with this situation.

“Until you can move without pain.” He stood up and went out of the cave, “I have to hunt for our supper, I am sure that you will know that you have to stay put, at least for now.”

She growled and finished the tea, wanting nothing more than to throw the mug at her father as he left her. She watched as another snow storm began to swirl outside of the cave and she settled under the furs, wincing from the pain, yet not calling out to show him any weakness. The cold meant little to her, compared to the loneliness that she had suffered most of her young life. Now instead she had one person in her life that stood his ground and while at first unwilling, he now seemed intent upon helping her in whatever manner he could.

Admitting to herself that she would never be a great warrior, she sighed, wondering what else there was for a wolven. All of her life she knew that hunting meant survival, that strength was what was needed to live a prosperous life. Drawn once more to the flames that flicked in the quiet air, she lost herself to the moment. Knowing that her life now directed a different path, she thought of the lessons that her foster mother had tried to teach her as well as the others, those that always stood in the shadows, watching her. The elders as they stood by and did nothing for her when the others picked on her. People who went off into the silent lodges that she, as a child, was not allowed to enter. Flames sang and danced for her, flicking up in the air, moving in a rhythm that held her attention. Smiling, she watched the flames, knowing they held a dance all of their own and she wanted to learn that dance. As she studied the flames, she thought about how her body could move, the grace that could hold a girl in sway and captivate an audience. Dance, that was the key to creating a graceful form. Dancers had that beauty that while they were not a warrior, they could still move well and they could defend themselves easily.

Time passed slowly as the two of them became trapped within the cave from the snow storms, Cirri and Rawour spent the time of her healing studying different tracks he made in the dirt of the cave. He drilled into her the different movements, styles of watching and manners in which made a good hunter. As she could not move and needed to learn, her quick mind picked up the nuances of the different animal tracks, learning to distinguish one from the other. By the time she had healed enough that she could tentatively walk about, the girl had learned the differences between predator and prey tracks, how to spot them in the darkness as well as the light of day.

Finally Cirri was able to walk on her one once more and she looked at her father’s furs and she smirked. He had gone outside to get more dinner, yet she had been told to stay in the cave still. He went from not caring about whether she lived or died to coddling her. Smirking, the girl took his furs and piled them up in the corner, hiding them from sight and she went off to hide in the cave herself, ready to pounce upon him once he came back inside. As he walked within the cave, he immediately noticed that the cave looked disrupted and before he knew it, Cirri had growled and pounced upon him from behind, letting him fall into the pile of furs and she nipped at his shoulder, “See I can too hunt!”

He laughed and then rolled over, pinning her to the ground and looking at her with a proud smile, “Yes you can. So tomorrow you get to start getting our dinner instead of me.”

Smiling, Cirri hugged him tightly and she kissed his muzzle before getting off of him and grabbing the rabbits, taking them closer to the fire to skin them and ready them for the stew. She took her time to get them ready, slowly letting them cook while she began the process to cure the hides so they could be used later. Rawour watched her carefully, noting how delicate she was when using the blade to deal with the rabbits, how she knew the best way to cut the meat and save every portion of the rabbit for later use. Perhaps it was time for her to learn some new things, yet he knew that he could not teach them to her.

“Your time here is almost over little one. I think that you will do better learning from some other people than me for the lessons that are to come. I will prepare you for us leaving, knowing that you will not have an easy time of it, but perhaps they can get through your stubborn pride where I could not.”

She listened to him and smiled, her eyes sparkling and she spoke softly, “So I won’t have to deal with your smelly carcass anymore.”

He laughed at her and nodded, “No, you won’t be. But you might not like your next teacher little one.” He stood up and ruffled her hair and then kissed her forehead, walking out into the night where he saw the shaman and he nodded to her and she nodded once in return. This portion of the girl’s life was over, yet there was so much more that could be done before she was ready for her true path.

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