The earth was quiet and alive, the soft pattering of rain, the lapping of the gentle waves against the sand of the nearby shore. Peaceful and serene, the rain was a good omen for the birth of the little kit tucked safely in her mother’s arms. A soft lullaby escaped one of the huts when a cloth door covering was pulled back. A priestess with dark fur stepped silently through the door, one clawed hand holding open the door drape. Her amber feline eyes watched the scene inside with obvious happiness.
The young mother lay propped up in her bedding, her sandy colored fur slick with sweat, and yet beautiful happiness radiating from every pore of her body made her state seem like a wonderful miracle of nature. It was from the young mother’s open mouth that the traditional song to welcome infants to the world was sung. Her rich purring tones were soft, but the joy was as loud as the largest tidal wave crashing into the shore. Next to the mother, the new babe’s grandmother quietly twined her own voice in with the melody, pride apparent in her tones as well.
The young priestess allowed the door drape to fall over the scene as she stepped out into the rain. The fact that the desert sky had blessed the tribe with life-giving water on the day of this little one’s birth was auspicious indeed. She raised her tired face to the water, letting the water drench her fur, mouth slightly open, drinking in the potential and life.
Regaining her train of thought, the priestess shook the water out of her eyes, face drifting down to look at the small bonfire that was being tended five paces from the front of the hut door. A man sat there, sitting on his haunches, protecting the flame with his body, a stick clenched tightly in a clawed hand, poking the coals to keep the fire going strong. “Priestess Kalyuua!” He smiled at her widely, for all he looked soaked to the bone. “I can hear the lullaby, how is-.”
Kalyuua smiled raising her hand to the nervous father. “Your mate and babe are fine. The fire burns well, despite the rain I trust?” She asked the man quietly. He shook himself allowing some of water that clung to his fur to slip off.
“Yes priestess. It took well and quickly just a minute before the rain started to fall.” He looked up at the priestess, his canines flashing in a nervous yet proud smile. “Good signs for my babe, are they not?” Kalyuua bared her canines in a cheerful grin for a brief second.
“Such wonderful omens must mean that your little kit was blessed with the Mother’s smile and kiss before giving her to you and yours.” The father’s eyes widened with delight at the mention of the babe being a girl. He trembled as happiness took him over, as if the wind itself could not get him to his family fast enough, but he must tend to the fire until she bade him otherwise. Kalyuua struggled within herself for a silent moment. These omens were powerful… should she consult with the High Priestess?
The High Priestess sat down in her small desert flower garden, opening the pots that were customarily used to catch rainfall while Kalyuua stood behind her in the half bow that one was to stay in while the High Priestess was lower then those in her presence. “You shall go to Talnar and Lithuna, tend to them for the birth of their child. You alone are the best one to go to them.” The High Priestess had opened every single water catcher in her garden before dismissing the young Kalyuua whom had all but run towards the village proper, white linen robes flapping behind her like a dove in flight. The sun shining brightly in a cloudless desert sky.
Odd as the encounter had been then, it seemed the High Priestess had known it would rain. She must trust the High Priestess’s judgment. If she were the best, then she would complete the life-flame ritual as she had been taught. She kissed the new father’s forehead. “Go to your child.”
“Thank you Priestess!” Talnar stood and bowed, speeding towards the hut, joy in his feet. She chuckled and sat down, the rain had already soaked her light robe and fur, but it was a pleasantly warm shower, and Kalyuua raised her face to the strong patter once more before focusing on the task at hand.
The flame was indeed strong, the hood dry with the intensity of the heat, while the size of the fire was still relatively modest. The priestess removed a pouch of crushed shells and sprinkled a pinch over the flames. Slowly they turned a deep purple. The child would be gifted with the arts, unsurprising with such birth omens. Kalyuua smiled and waited patiently for the flames to return to their normal color. She sat there for long minutes, and it wasn’t until she reckoned that five minutes had passed before the flames started to fade back to their normal orange, yellow and red.
The priestess’s whiskers bristled in appreciation, the babe’s arts would be very strong, and that most certainly meant a considerable amount of time as a member of the cloth. In a second pouch she drew out a vial of the birthing fluids that had surrounded the babe in question. Half of the contents were poured onto the fire, and Kalyuua drew out a thin piece of honey colored glass and looked through it with a keen eye towards the center of the flame, leaning forward with baited breath.
A swan lay sleeping in the center of the flames, waking slowly and starting to glide through an imaginary sky. Its eyes were open wide and a brilliant blue color. Several birds joined the sky with the bird, everything from owls to hummingbirds. But when a crane with red under-plumage entered the sky the swan and the crane started to fly together in circles, wingtips touching gracefully as the rest of the birds fell away from their joyful dance in midair.
A raven entered the image of flight, breaking apart the crane and swan, the crane fell back but tried to keep up with the wing-breaking pace the raven set, a dove entered the picture as the raven drifted off, and now instead of the crane fighting to keep up, it hung back, as the dove and swan twirled in the air, both shining a brilliant white. The dove and swan touched foreheads as the dove flew up and out of site, growing even more brilliant as it disappeared.
The swan flew in lonely circles, still bright, as birds of all types and markings flew around her. The crane however dove out of the tide of birds, plummeting down and out of site while pearly tears shone in the swans eyes.
She grew brighter and brighter, never being touched or flown directly with by any of her flock, opening her wings to protect them from a snarling sense of danger and claws.
Despite the swan’s best efforts, birds in her charge fell, spiraling down in death and being lifted into the Goddess’s bright light that revealed they were rewarded for their devotion. The swan grew brighter and brighter as each bird she tried to protect, and those that protected her fell.
Then the crane appeared again, this time taking a invisible strike that sundered the beautiful auburn bird into pieces, red plumage scattering to the wind. This bird did not bask in the Goddess’s holy glow. The swan cried out in outrage, glowing brighter and brighter until the entire flames were transformed to a brilliant white color.
And with that the flames returned to normal.
Kalyuua’s eyes were open wide and unblinking as she stared at the normal flames through the honey colored glass still. She would forever remember the girls astral self and the twists her life would take her through. And the fact that she herself would keep the girl away from her mate, from happiness… Kalyuua shivered, her fur ruffling as she dispelled the water that now seemed cold to her. Her soul-form was that of the very same dove whom had danced with the white swan with bright blue eyes, she and the girl would share much in their future.
She had looked into the fire, only expecting to see the astral forms of the young babe and the babe’s eventual mate… The priestess had seen so much more then that, a genuine birth prophecy. Kalyuua covered her eyes in respect and awe, not looking directly back to the flames while rapidly ingraining the symbols and forms into her memory.
Change was coming, and this tiny infant would be the key to it all. Kalyuua carefully poured sand onto the coals, stifling the flames whilst still not looking directly into it. After the coals were hissing wetly and the last flicker of orange faded from the pit, the priestess wished she had not been tasked with this knowledge, that she could forget or prevent the innocent babe’s great and terrible future. What if she did not have the correct interpretation in her mind… What if it cost the little babe dearly?
Her spine stiffened and Kalyuua steeled her nerves. The High Priestess had tasked her with this knowledge, had said she was the only and best one to know. She would help the girl as best she could, and try to guide her to a path of happiness in the cloth and hopefully a peaceful life after her great task to the Mother Goddess was completed. The priestess stood up looking down at the coals, and turning back towards the small happy family.
She would have an interesting life, this little girl, power and authority, and the support of many powerful people as well. Her name would be sung by the future generations of Keritish without a doubt with just as much love and adoration as the three in the little hut now sang it with.
'Litlu'
