She took a trembling breath to ease her fear but admitted it really didn't help. In retrospect she supposed she shouldn't have been so impulsive but finding a grey hair in her shining black mane had brought home the reality that she was going to age and die. She wasn't ready for that! Her body was strong, supple and still youthful thanks to the hard work she did on a daily basis for the large working farm. Living as she did at the edge of the forest she was in a constant struggle with the forces of Nature and she dreaded the day when she would begin to lose ground.
An owl asked a soft question and she started looking fearfully at the rising moon. The clouds scudded around the warm night sky lit by the watchful Eye in the Darkness. Aline smiled to realize she had already begun to think in Ma'at, the language of her long time friend, Carolana.
As if she could hear Aline thinking about her, Carolana wove a graceful path through the underbrush before jumping silently up onto a stump. She carefully rearranged her ruffled fur, as much to calm her nerves as it was habit. She blinked up at Aline and her green eyes shone with compassion.
"Poor little Ma'au you are so tense. If you had already formed the change your tail would be as large as your body!" She thought at Aline.
"Your whiskers must ache, laughing at me like that!" Aline snapped her nerves frayed beyond endurance. Carolana squeezed shut her eyes in acknowledgment of the breach of etiquette and Aline was instantly contrite. To Carolana, Aline WAS just a kitten and she was being very generous sharing her abilities with the human woman who was afraid to die. A spasm of coughing shook Aline's frame and Carolana was reminded how long they had both left this decision. Would it be too late? Would she lose her dearest friend after such a short time?
Child to adult, that was their relationship tonight. This change brought their relationship full circle...Carolana concentrated and the syrup that Aline favored appeared in the clearing amidst a sparkle of moonlight. Aline reached down with a trembling hand, fighting the nausea and dizziness the prolonged bouts of coughing brought on. She managed to get the bottle open and swallowed a generous belt of the firey liquid. She gasped and fought for breath and then mewled softly as the medicant took effect and released her from the awful spasms.
"That's better, thank you sweetheart. I didn't bring it because I thought I could get through the change without it. Once again I am humbled by my impulsiveness." Aline bowed as was proper for a Ma'au to a Ca'at. Child to Mother, youngsull circle. Tonight Carolana would be teaching Aline how to speak, walk, survive for the three days they would shift forms.
Carolana absentmindedly scratched just behind her ear and then smiled. The itchiness signaled that the time of change was nearing. She stretched feeling the muscles and sinews of her body responding. At least tonight is clear and warm, she mused. The electric crackle of her fur caused Aline's eyes to widen. Suddenly she stretched and whimpered.
Carolana purred loudly and twined around Aline's ankles to remind her that she wasn't alone. There was nothing to fear, the horrible tales of pain human's told themselves about the change were just myths. The actual change was quick and vaguely pleasant.
Aline felt the large tattoo on her back beginning to prickle, but the sensation wasn't painful. She rotated her shoulders feeling where Carolana had forced the pigments into her skin tingle and pulse as if electricity crawled along her spine outlining the arcane words and symbols drawn into her skin.
"The symbols will become part of you after the change and your skin will appear unbroken in three days. The Change Watchers will not be able to see even the outline of the markings. Your body will revert to it's accustomed state minus illness and age in three days. You must remember to be here in this clearing, away from prying eyes on the third day lest you change in front of anyone." Carolana paused and shivered with the rising energy gathering along her spine, "I have waited for this day for a long time Arrri." Aline smiled at the childish nicname Carolana had given her when she was just a little girl.
Aline smiled and started to speak when another spasm of coughing doubled her over, bleaching the color from her face and leaving her gasping. Gads, it felt as though she had cracked ribs in that volley.
Suddenly, she stood tall obeying an arcane directive and felt her arms and legs reaching to the four watchtowers. She named them in her head:
*East and Air, the origin of childhood
*South and Fire, the movement into adolescence
*West and Water, the movement into adulthood
*North and Earth, the conclusion of Cronehood
Life and death meeting and blending to close the circle of all creation.
As the quadrants were called and invoked the circle blazed to life creating a sacred space at once rooted in reality and set apart. The light was bright blue and crackled with electricity. In the quadrants stone pillars loomed and the trees seemed to bend inward to listen. Aline was caught up in the moment and yet her mind was separate, watching all that was happening. Carolana had assured her that this first change would be spectacular but the rest would be rather mundane as far as things go, and Aline wanted to remember it all.
Carolana completed her change easily and quickly and dressed in the clothing that Aline had discarded just moments earlier. She bound up her shining blonde hair in the dark kerchief just as Aline had done her own darker hair earlier in the evening. She sat and watched as her friend began the ritual that would forever bind her to the old ways and to the Ca'at. Carolana was reminded of the time when humans welcomed the Ca'at into their temples and homes as treasured friends, even performing their complicated and well meant funerary rites for the Ca'at who passed on. It was a good memory...
Aline felt her body stretching and then slowly pulling inward and she was reminded of the journey to the Goddess she had undertaken many years ago in her early adolescence. She felt the brush of silk all over her body and realized that it was fur. Her senses opened up and she rotated her ears frantically trying to catch every sound. Her nose quivered with scents and her breathing was easy and free from the cancer that had been eating away at her lungs. She felt a slight ache in her face and realized her whiskers were straining to cross in front of her nose, the Ca'at form of a smile.
She relaxed her entire body as the circle slowly reabsorbed into the Earth, she shook her entire body and reached over her shoulder to lick at a ruffled area.
Carolana smiled and stood up. She approached Aline slowly and marveled at the deep rich blackness of fur. When Aline turned to face her friend, Carolana was struck by the beauty of Aline's sapphire eyes. Carolana stooped and gently picked up Aline, reasoning that there was plenty of time for her to learn how to manage four legs, and headed back down the forest path to the hearth fire waiting for them both.
An owl asked a soft question and she started looking fearfully at the rising moon. The clouds scudded around the warm night sky lit by the watchful Eye in the Darkness. Aline smiled to realize she had already begun to think in Ma'at, the language of her long time friend, Carolana.
As if she could hear Aline thinking about her, Carolana wove a graceful path through the underbrush before jumping silently up onto a stump. She carefully rearranged her ruffled fur, as much to calm her nerves as it was habit. She blinked up at Aline and her green eyes shone with compassion.
"Poor little Ma'au you are so tense. If you had already formed the change your tail would be as large as your body!" She thought at Aline.
"Your whiskers must ache, laughing at me like that!" Aline snapped her nerves frayed beyond endurance. Carolana squeezed shut her eyes in acknowledgment of the breach of etiquette and Aline was instantly contrite. To Carolana, Aline WAS just a kitten and she was being very generous sharing her abilities with the human woman who was afraid to die. A spasm of coughing shook Aline's frame and Carolana was reminded how long they had both left this decision. Would it be too late? Would she lose her dearest friend after such a short time?
Child to adult, that was their relationship tonight. This change brought their relationship full circle...Carolana concentrated and the syrup that Aline favored appeared in the clearing amidst a sparkle of moonlight. Aline reached down with a trembling hand, fighting the nausea and dizziness the prolonged bouts of coughing brought on. She managed to get the bottle open and swallowed a generous belt of the firey liquid. She gasped and fought for breath and then mewled softly as the medicant took effect and released her from the awful spasms.
"That's better, thank you sweetheart. I didn't bring it because I thought I could get through the change without it. Once again I am humbled by my impulsiveness." Aline bowed as was proper for a Ma'au to a Ca'at. Child to Mother, youngsull circle. Tonight Carolana would be teaching Aline how to speak, walk, survive for the three days they would shift forms.
Carolana absentmindedly scratched just behind her ear and then smiled. The itchiness signaled that the time of change was nearing. She stretched feeling the muscles and sinews of her body responding. At least tonight is clear and warm, she mused. The electric crackle of her fur caused Aline's eyes to widen. Suddenly she stretched and whimpered.
Carolana purred loudly and twined around Aline's ankles to remind her that she wasn't alone. There was nothing to fear, the horrible tales of pain human's told themselves about the change were just myths. The actual change was quick and vaguely pleasant.
Aline felt the large tattoo on her back beginning to prickle, but the sensation wasn't painful. She rotated her shoulders feeling where Carolana had forced the pigments into her skin tingle and pulse as if electricity crawled along her spine outlining the arcane words and symbols drawn into her skin.
"The symbols will become part of you after the change and your skin will appear unbroken in three days. The Change Watchers will not be able to see even the outline of the markings. Your body will revert to it's accustomed state minus illness and age in three days. You must remember to be here in this clearing, away from prying eyes on the third day lest you change in front of anyone." Carolana paused and shivered with the rising energy gathering along her spine, "I have waited for this day for a long time Arrri." Aline smiled at the childish nicname Carolana had given her when she was just a little girl.
Aline smiled and started to speak when another spasm of coughing doubled her over, bleaching the color from her face and leaving her gasping. Gads, it felt as though she had cracked ribs in that volley.
Suddenly, she stood tall obeying an arcane directive and felt her arms and legs reaching to the four watchtowers. She named them in her head:
*East and Air, the origin of childhood
*South and Fire, the movement into adolescence
*West and Water, the movement into adulthood
*North and Earth, the conclusion of Cronehood
Life and death meeting and blending to close the circle of all creation.
As the quadrants were called and invoked the circle blazed to life creating a sacred space at once rooted in reality and set apart. The light was bright blue and crackled with electricity. In the quadrants stone pillars loomed and the trees seemed to bend inward to listen. Aline was caught up in the moment and yet her mind was separate, watching all that was happening. Carolana had assured her that this first change would be spectacular but the rest would be rather mundane as far as things go, and Aline wanted to remember it all.
Carolana completed her change easily and quickly and dressed in the clothing that Aline had discarded just moments earlier. She bound up her shining blonde hair in the dark kerchief just as Aline had done her own darker hair earlier in the evening. She sat and watched as her friend began the ritual that would forever bind her to the old ways and to the Ca'at. Carolana was reminded of the time when humans welcomed the Ca'at into their temples and homes as treasured friends, even performing their complicated and well meant funerary rites for the Ca'at who passed on. It was a good memory...
Aline felt her body stretching and then slowly pulling inward and she was reminded of the journey to the Goddess she had undertaken many years ago in her early adolescence. She felt the brush of silk all over her body and realized that it was fur. Her senses opened up and she rotated her ears frantically trying to catch every sound. Her nose quivered with scents and her breathing was easy and free from the cancer that had been eating away at her lungs. She felt a slight ache in her face and realized her whiskers were straining to cross in front of her nose, the Ca'at form of a smile.
She relaxed her entire body as the circle slowly reabsorbed into the Earth, she shook her entire body and reached over her shoulder to lick at a ruffled area.
Carolana smiled and stood up. She approached Aline slowly and marveled at the deep rich blackness of fur. When Aline turned to face her friend, Carolana was struck by the beauty of Aline's sapphire eyes. Carolana stooped and gently picked up Aline, reasoning that there was plenty of time for her to learn how to manage four legs, and headed back down the forest path to the hearth fire waiting for them both.
