Amara and Rath's Tale
This story is rated for Readers Over 16 for sexual situations and violence
It wasn't easy, tracking Zarra down. If the cat clan had a den, Kala's wolves could not find it. A couple of months passed, Kala getting very frustrated by the inability of his pack to find the demon. Finally, he was spotted! The demon was in the western mountain range, a three-day journey from Prospect. Since we could not entice him to us, we had to go to him.
The cobbler made heavy boots for me, but with soft fleece inside so the leather wouldn't rub blisters on my feet. I was actually looking forward to the journey. After all, I had never been outside of my village. There was much discussion on how many of us should go; of course, Rath and I were going with Kala. I had to go to bind Zarra, and Kala and Rath were for protection, but also because they didn't want to be far away from me. We needed to take wolves to track and also for protection, but not enough to make Zarra think we wanted to start a territory war. The plan was to ask for a meeting and during that meeting I would bind him.
I wasn't sure if that would work. I had bound both Rath and Kala by being terrified of them and during a meeting I wouldn't be -- unless Zarra decided to end the meeting by eating me. Then I was sure to be terrified!
Finally we were ready to leave. We decided on two wolf demons and six wolves. Enough for protection, but not enough to threaten. I hoped that it would work. The night before we were going to head out, both Rath and Kala came to me, very serious looks on their faces, with the request that I take it easy on them. They could not travel -- and certainly not protect -- if they were exhausted. I promised to keep to one time a night -- each. They would take turns during the night. They groaned in unison, but nodded. They didn't have a choice - it was my decision and they were forced to abide by it.
Early the next morning, we started out, just as dawn's light was breaking over the tops of the distant mountains. It was tiring, walking for hours, but also invigorating. I walked a lot at home - there wasn't much to do - especially since the villagers did all the planting and harvesting for me. I had been gifted a beautiful red rooster and a little flock of hens and now my main job seemed to be feeding the chickens and gathering their eggs. The wolves left them alone, not only because of Kala's orders, but because I often shared the eggs with them. There were just too many eggs for just one person to eat, especially when that one person didn't particularly like eggs. So I would scramble up the whole batch and divide them among the wolves that were guarding the house. The wolves seemed to know when I was making eggs, because often I would come out of the house, and there would be dozens of wolves lolling around, pretending that they were on guard. Yeah! On egg guard duty! I would laughing admonish them and divide up the eggs. They loved them, cooked with fresh butter, all fluffy and yellow. But since no one was taking care of taking the eggs, I had a feeling I was going to have a bunch of little yellow chicks when I got home.
We camped at dusk, on the banks of a large stream, almost a river. I was tired and dirty and went down to the water to wash up. At home I used the bathhouse to wash, so I had never really seen my reflection. At home the only mirror was the small hand mirror that was part of the brush set. This was the first time I had seen my entire body in a long time. And I was amazed. I was no longer a stick-figure of a child. I had filled out -- a lot! I was actually pretty and a young woman now. As I was looking at my reflection, Rath came behind me and looked into the water to see what I was looking at. He smiled.
"You didn't realize how beautiful you are, did you?"
"Beautiful? Pretty, I'll give you, but beautiful, I don't think so. You are not a good judge - you are bound to me."
"I may be bound, but that doesn't not mean that I can't tell the difference between just pretty and beautiful. You were a gangly child when I first met you -- now you are a beautiful woman." He said with all sincerity.
I smiled and finished washing up. Dinner was roasted rabbit -- well, for me at least. Everyone else ate it raw and bloody. Rath and Kala now ate in front of me. A couple of years ago, I finally realized that they were embarrassed to eat raw food in front of me before, and that's why I had never seen them eat. After that, I insisted that they eat with me. At first they were self-conscious, cutting up their meat into small pieces, but as time passed, they got used to me and began to eat with their hands, tearing the raw meat with their sharp fangs. It seemed natural with Kala, but Rath never seemed like he should be eating that way. I always imagined him eating dainty little morsels on fine bone china, not tearing bloody chunks from a rabbit. When I mentioned that to him, Rath looked at me with the strangest look on his face, but did not say anything more.
A little lean-to had been made for me -- for privacy more than anything else. Rath was first and we tried to be as quiet as possible. Then he crawled out and Kala came in. When he was finished, I called Rath in and the three of us slept together for the first time in months. It felt good to be between them, buried in their warmth.
The next morning, we had a scant breakfast of berries and nuts and hot tea. I had insisted on bringing homemade tea bags and a small pot to brew it in. Everyone teased me, but now in the chilly morning, everyone was happy I brought it. Even the two wolf demons drank tea with us, enjoying, if not the flavor, at least the warmth of it. After breakfast, we got back on the road. The day was a repeat of the first, but the land became more forest and less cleared land. By nightfall, we were in deep forest. Tomorrow we would reach the roots of the mountains.
It was slower going, the third day. There was no trail at all, and Rath often would have to carve out a path through the thick underbrush with his sword. Also, the land was now sloping upwards, as we climbed towards the mountains. That night, everyone slept close by. All around us, just beyond the firelight, there were sounds: claws scraping rock, a low growl, and other noises which I could not recognize. There was no love making this night! No one wanted to be apart from the other so we slept in a mass near the fire, with the wolves laying on our outer perimeter. I began to wish that we had brought more of them. I got very little sleep, laying awake listening to the sounds around me. Rath finally wrapped his arms around me and I fell asleep after he did, feeling safe in his arms.
At mid-morning of the fourth day, we reached the mountains. Forests gave way to stone rock. The wolves found a narrow trail and we wound up the mountain on it. By the end of this day, we should reach where Zarra had been sighted. At mid-day, we met up with three wolves, who had been tracking him, and they joined us, assuring Kala that he was still in this region.
We didn't find him -- he found us. At mid-afternoon, we came upon a ruined city, a relic of past ages built by unknown hands. We had stopped to rest for a few minutes, when we found ourselves surrounded by the demon cats. Not sweet little kitty cats, but huge dangerous beasts, each twice as large as a wolf. Kala called the wolves to him so that they would not attack. Rath called out that we wanted a meeting with Zarra. There was no answer, and the cats stayed around us. They did not approach, but kept watch over us, growling deep inside their throats.
Suddenly a man appeared, with one of the huge cats at his side. He was even wilder looking than Kala, dressed in tight leather breeches and a short tunic. His face was more angular, the eyes almond shaped and ears pointed, and his black hair fell loose down his back. This was Zarra, Lord of the Demon Cats. He was standing above us, looking down. "Why do you ask for me?"
Rath stood, tall and straight, showing absolutely no fear. How I loved him for that! "We want to offer you a trade that will be to the mutual benefit of us both." That was the lie that Rath and Kala had decided on. We needed to get him close enough to us so that I could bind him. He stared at Rath, trying to read into the words, but came no closer.
I felt no fear of him at all. The cats, yes, I feared them because they were wild things. But Zarra -- there was no fear -- the only thing I felt was desire. I wanted him! I could feel it in the depth of my soul -- pure, raw desire. I stood up and started walking to the stairs that would lead me to him. Rath started for me, but I stopped him. Zarra watched me approach, his face filled with emotions -- there was surprise and curiosity, but there was also a hint of lust. I could almost read his mind -- he would kill the wolves and demons, then take me for his slave until he got tired of me. He was going to be very surprised!
When I got to his side, I reached out and touched him. He started to grab me, but I said "no" very softly. He looked at me in surprise and then alarm. He could not move his arms to take me. I could feel my power building. "Tell your cats to stay where they are."
Zarra growled at me, fangs glinting in the light, but he obeyed. I took his hand and led him into the building behind me.
Rath stood there watching me in amazement. Obviously I no longer had to be frightened to trigger my power. Kala shook his head -- no one expected it to be this easy. As long as I could get near enough to touch the demon, I could bind him. The cats stayed where they were, but all eyes were on the building where their master had gone. Rath began to gather wood for a fire. Night would soon fall and a warm fire would be welcome.
And in an empty room, built long ages ago, Zarra was learning the true meaning of power.