Silence fell over the four as the youngest digested their words. His fire and his anger barely being contained as he realized what she said was true. Heartless was the contract that one could never hope to fulfill.
Children played with their little toys, and parents set up their stalls chuckling at their young ones running around. Kyera watched them, tiger's playing with the wolves, but so few children granced this clearing. Even fewer would reach her age here, in the village. At least one of them would fall victim to the trappers if they were lucky. It was more likely three or more would find themselves bound so mercilessly. Her heart ached.
"Then… there is nothing we can do? Once a trap catches us?" Talis asks unable to wrap his mind around the truth of these statements. Verone sighed, sitting up and looking at his brother seriously.
"No, We do everything we can to free the trapped from the net. You rip, claw and demolish what is being used to hold until the person is free. However… there is a price to pay if you stay too long." Verone replied meeting his eyes. "Talis if you don't escape before the trapped is taken, you will be killed without a second thought. Trappers do not try to catch those who are not in a net. They kill them before they themselves are killed."
The warning darkened Talis's eyes as he realized his brother was serious. All he could do was shake his head, heart slowly filling with hatred. "Humans are vile creatures." he growled angrily. However, to his surprise this statement didn't receive the overflow of praise he had expected to hear. His eyes flicked to Kyera who almost seemed displeased by his outburst.
"Some humans are vile and cruel, but not all. You can not judge a species by its past. Human's learn just as you and I. Moria and Talvin both are human. So are several healers that have tended our kind. We viciously slaughtered them as well and because some found sport in it, a war wiped out half our people maybe more." Cora corrected him, drawing his eyes away from his teacher. The serpent's words were clear and left no room for debate. Kyera nodded in agreement with her.
"That hatred you are allowing to take root in your heart will blossom to be a tree that will consume and destroy you." Kyera added standing up, and dusting off her skirt. "You will learn."
Talis and Verone both stood as well. Placing their empty pots in the basket beside Cora. "How will I know who is vile and who is not."
"Judge people not by their words but the strength of their life. Good shall be strong and the bad will be riddled with weakness. If one is too easily tempted by money then do not trust them. If one seeks power and greed is a old friend walk away. You must look for those who help those who cannot help themselves. You will learn and I will teach you all I can." Kyera replied with a smile meeting Verone's eyes. "we both will. Now let's go. We got a ways to go before Moon Peak."
The brothers nodded, and all three shifted from human form to tiger from stretching the muscles left unused by the previous state. After nodding the three dashed off into the woods. Talis carefully guided between the two seasoned veterans of the forest. Kyera led.
She could feel the point where they left her young trainee's comfort zone. He slowed go a walk from the long bounding run they had been enjoying. They were reaching the first river… known as The Silver Serpent.
The river was known as such because of the smooth silvery sparkle to the water. Oh the water itself was normal enough, but the rocks on the river bed shone in the crystal clear fast moving current. Algae had a hard time growing in glacial waters, and caused the stream to be clear and crisp as it wound its way down to the main river at the base of the mountain. At this point of the river, a old tree formed a bridge across. Though Tiger's liked getting their feet wet… the glacial waters here were not their favorite things to swim in. The tree never swayed as Kyera walked across and leapt onto the opposite bank. However, the edge of that tree, with one paw on the trunk, Talis was frozen.