Shivanshi followed the big cat, the same way as a baby duck will follow her mother duck, in a straight row.
Shivanshi obediently followed her White Aunty because she was too scared. What if she did something wrong by mistake? She will lose her only favor. She was afraid of being stranded and more of living alone in such a beautiful yet scary quiet forest.
They finally reached their destination. It's a high place in the forest. There are not many trees around here. The land here is large, filled with grasses with trees scattered around. It looks beautiful.
The one where she is standing with her Fluffy Aunt is the biggest among them all.
It's the tallest too. Shivanshi is a little girl, so she doesn't know much about the trees. She was just happy to see this beautiful view.
"Kid, this is where I live," Siya said suddenly.
"Wow! Aunty, what a beautiful place your house is. It's really nice." Shivanshi said excitedly.
The cat's expression got softened, and she asked shyly, " Do you like it?"
" Shivi likes it so much!" Shivi kept shaking her head like an excited bunny.
The white cat chuckled at this, "You can live here then."
"It's late night. Time to sleep," Siya stated.
"huh...Aunty, where am I sleeping?" Shivi asked.
"On the tree. Come on, climb up." Siya responded and started climbing on the tree swiftly.
"But..but I don't know how to climb," Shivanshi answered while pouting. Her lower lip was protruding out.
Siya sighed. She knows she expected too much from a 5-yr old child. "Alright, Sit on my back."
"What! No Aunty! I am too heavy for you. Even if I appear thin-framed, I actually weigh a lot. I will cause you to fall," she said while looking at her White Aunty, who looks more grown-up than a regular cat but still not big enough to bear her weight.
"Kid! your weight is nothing for me. Come on," she offered her back again. reply
"But..." before Shivanshi can say more, a big whitetail circled her body and pulled her. She landed on her aunty's body.
"Hold tight," Siya said and, without waiting for her response, started climbing swiftly as ever. She wasn't bluffing earlier Shivi's weight was really nothing to her but thinking about how this child was concerned over her falling due to her, she smiled.
Shivi was too scared to open her eyes. She just tightly clung to her cat aunt's body.
"We are here, kid. Get off." Siya purred when she reached a high spot on the tree. This place had branches and leaves everywhere.
She felt this spot should be able to stop all the cold air from reaching this little girl's body. She searched for this place in her mind before coming here and decided to let her rest here tonight and see if it's comfortable.
The moment Shivi opened her eyes became the moment she closed them again. 'It's too high.' Another thing she is scared of is height. This tree was high enough to scare an adult person, and she was just a child.
Although she was standing on a thick branch with so many soft leaves around, she was still scared. Her Fluffy Aunt even showed her that they are safe by sleeping on a nearby branch comfortably but...,
"Fluffy Aunt, will you laugh at me if I tell you that I am scared of heights." She said while looking here and there. Not sure where to hide her face without being scared.
Seeing Shivanshi, who was looking just like a bullied little rabbit, Siya felt annoyed, "Yes, I will laugh at you. So don't tell me. Just go to sleep."
"But I am really afraid, " She told her. She was looking like she is almost on the verge of crying.
Siya sighed and moved her tail towards the annoying little bunny. As her tail circled Shivi's small body, it grew in size, and soon it covered her like a blanket. She used her tail to tuck her safely on the branch. She let her hold her tail for feeling assured.
Shivi felt much better after feeling the soft tail blanket on her body. Now she was in complete awe at how magical this forest is where animals are so powerful to grow their sizes as per their wish. 'So Soft! So Pretty!' she rubbed her cheek against Siya's tail.
Siya was well-known in the forest. She doubted how much reputation would be left if someone saw her in this state where her poor tail was being played by a child and she let her do so.
"Thank you, Fluffy Aunt !" a cheeky innocent voice broke her train of thoughts.
" Hey, kid! Stop calling me 'Fluffy Aunt.' I am not your Fluffy Aunt." Siya uttered.
"huh, if not 'Fluffy Aunt,' what should I call you then? White Aunty? Cat Aunty? Aunt Kitty? Fluffy Tailed-Aunt? or..."
before she can speak a few more ridiculous names, Siya stopped her by saying, "Siya!"
".....?" Shivanshi crooked her head 90 degrees while blinking innocently, clearly not understanding her aunty's words.
"You can call me Siya," Siya said.
"Ok Fluffy aunt," Shivanshi said.
"You..." Siya sighed but didn't say anything.
"Aunty, your place is really nice," Shivanshi said while looking at the sky.
Siya asked the girl firmly, "Kid! Tell me honestly, what were your thoughts about us 'beasts' before coming here?"
She finally asked the question, which was in her mind since she decided to take her in. She believed that Shivanshi doesn't loath them as other people do, but she wanted to know if it's only after seeing them or since always.
After living for over a century, she found herself being ridiculous having such thoughts. Isn't it already enough to meet someone among humans who doesn't loath them that she expects more? But sigh, she can't help but let herself believe for a moment that maybe the kid liked them since the beginning.