CHAPTER TWO: THE TRAINING BEGINS
That afternoon, Fauna retreated to the Helper's quarters where the cubs were getting ready to have lunch. All the clatter in the room died down when a little boy looked up and pointed towards the entrance where Fauna was watching the cubs with a sad smile on her face.
She was heartbroken because all she wanted was to create a peaceful and functional home for all the young ones and help the dwindling population of the species that rescued her. She had failed woefully. The lions were threatening her people, and it was her fault. She couldn't understand why they weren't quick to turn her over to the pride to ensure their own safety.
"It's Lady Fauna!" The four-year-old boy with shaggy blond hair and sharp violet eyes pointed at Fauna. He grinned widely and revealed his gapped teeth. The other children looked up at his words and were immediately filled with glee. They jumped off the floor and rushed towards her.
With the sound of childish giggles, the children engulfed Fauna in a hug that made her grin widely. Perhaps it was because she knew what it felt like to be wandering all alone as a cub, seeking love and shelter, that was why Fauna was so drawn to the cubs. She loved every moment spent with them and the Helpers, but her smile dimmed when she realized she would have to spend less and less time with them once her training commenced.
"Alegra said I'll make a fine Scout when I'm a little older," one of the cubs told her.
"I told Bone I'll like to start training to become a Soldier. He agreed!" Another chimed.
"I wish to be a Healer. I think our anatomy is fascinating," said another.
Fauna watched them with a smile as their voices all blended together, each shouting to be heard over the other. They were the most beautiful cubs she had ever seen. All seven of them; three females and four males. They were the future of their clan, and she had to make sure she did everything to shield them from the harm Ari threatened.
"Okay," she finally spoke up and they all quieted down and stared up at her with their violet eyes shining with admiration. "Tala, you wish to become a Soldier?" She asked and the three-year-old pup nodded eagerly, his brown hair bouncing around his rounded face.
"Yes, yes!" He let out a toothy grin. "Felix said I should be able to shift in a matter of days. I am going to be a big strong tiger, just like Lord Bruce."
She didn't doubt him. His parents were two of the strongest tigers she had ever seen, though he didn't know that. The tigers didn't care for their cubs. That was the job of the Helpers, so none of the cubs knew who birthed them. All they knew was that they belonged to a community who would do everything to protect them.
Fauna knew though. She was there when Tala was born. She held him in her arms and knew he was going to be one of the strongest tigers the forest would ever know.
"I shifted today!" Gin exclaimed with a grin that almost extended to her ears. She was almost four, and was due to shift. After the cubs fully shifted into their animal form, the clan would consider them ready to begin extensive adult training. Fauna couldn't believe they were growing so fast.
"It was just your arms. That doesn't count," Gin's twin sister Shadow countered.
Gin and Shadow may have been twins, but they were as different as different could go. Gin had the brightest ginger-coloured hair while Shadow's was as dark as night. Ginger had pale skin and a lean frame; Shadow was bulkier with sun-kissed skin. And they were the most competitive duo Fauna had ever seen.
"You're just jealous because I started shifting before you." Gin struck her tongue out at her sister who scoffed as she folded her arms.
"You wish! Hailey reckons I'll be a better Scout. I'll soon venture past our borders and into the forest to find rouges."
"I want to go into the human world and find things that would be useful to us," Gin countered and Fauna laughed.
"Calm down, cubs. You are all amazing and have different abilities. That's what makes us work perfectly as a clan. Tala, you want to be a Soldier, Gin and Shadow, you'll both be Scouts, what else?"
"Helper!" Kato exclaimed with a cheeky smile on his face, but Tala scowled.
"That's for the women to do, isn't it, Lady Fauna?" He turned to Fauna who shook her head.
"It isn't. Anyone can be who they want to be. It's the beauty of it all," Fauna explained.
"How come we don't have any male Healers then?" The young tiger scratched his head to show his confusion.
Before Fauna could answer him, Alegra made an appearance. She was dressed in a dull brown gown that hung loosely around her body. She looked at the cubs that were around her best friend and she chuckled. The sound caught the attention of the cubs and they looked up at her.
"It's dinner time! I smell food!" Tora exclaimed. He didn't know yet, but Fauna was sure he was going to be a Sniffer. He may have been younger than the rest of the cubs, but his sense of smell was unmatched.
They all jumped up and ran past Alegra and deep into the house, chattering and talking excitedly amongst themselves as they went. The two adults watched them until they were out of sight, then Alegra walked towards Fauna.
The older tigress had long brown hair that was plaited into pigtails. Her face was coated with dust and dirt as she had been cleaning out all day and making sure everything was in order. She had a lean and frail frame, as though she was a second away from breaking, but Fauna knew better. Fauna knew she was a lot stronger than she looked and she enjoyed what she did for the clan.
"You look like you have a lot to tell me," Alegra noted, being able to read Fauna like an open book. "Want to take a walk to the drinking pond?"
Fauna nodded and together, the two women left the Helper's quarters and strolled deeper into the forest. They walked in silence, paying no heed to the birds overhead or the animals that had dared to creep out from their holes. They said nothing to each other until they arrived at the drinking pond which they knew would be empty by that time.
When they got there, they sat on the ground, their legs tucked beneath them. Alegra stared at Fauna expectantly. While she wanted to know what troubled her friend, she didn't want to pressure her into speaking before she was ready to.
"Ari got into our territory today," Fauna finally spoke up after she took in a deep breath. In response, Alegra's brows shot up so high, they almost got into her bangs.
"I don't see how that's possible. Ryker had the best Sniffers we have patrol the borders today. No sneaky lion could have gotten past." Alegra scrunched her nose in disgust.
It wasn't that the lions particularly smelt bad, but every species had their distinct scent. The scent of another specie was unpleasant to them because it triggered alarm in their brains. It was part of their defence mechanism.
"We all wondered that too. Clearly, we are not safe. Ari made it clear that he desires me and if I don't make my way back to him, lives will be lost."
"We can't expect you to go to him. He's a power-hungry, womanizing maniac."
"Some of the tigers are thinking it though. Especially Felix. I don't blame him." Fauna let out a deep sigh, but Alegra's lips curved downwards in a snarl.
"Treason! He could have his head ripped off his shoulders for that. We all stick together and protect one another. Isn't that the whole purpose of coming together? How dare they go against their own species?"
"But I am not a tiger, am I?" Fauna gestured to herself and having no answer, Alegra rolled her tongue in her mouth. "No one knows what I am, no one knows my potential, no one knows how to train me. Ari says I have been turned into a lowly human." Fauna spat the word out and Alegra shook her head.
"You are no human. You're a Helper and a Healer. Isn't that enough?"
"It's not. At first light, I am to begin training to become a Soldier."
"But you aren't a Soldier. You could die!" Alegra objected. She took Fauna's palm in hers and stared at her friend, her violet eyes imploring that Fauna saw reason, but Fauna thought she was the one who lacked reason.
No matter how hard Fauna tried to run from her calling, she wasn't born to be a Helper nor a Healer and she had no say in the matter. She was a Shapeshifter, whether she knew what that meant or not,
"My only fear is that while protecting me, you all are putting yourselves in danger."
"Without you, we'd mostly be dead. You taught us to increase our chances of survival by teaming up. You're one of the most important members of this clan, and you can't be out there right now, we are going to have a new birth in just a couple of days. Don't you wish to witness that?"
Fauna sighed deeply. Overthinking everything was causing her a migraine. She wished things were a lot easier and she could just spend all her time taking care of the cubs, helping the injured heal and helping with the birth process.
"I want everyone to be safe. One life is nothing when compared to almost a hundred," Fauna mused aloud and Alegra said nothing.
She hated to agree, but Fauna was right. She however didn't want her best friend to become something she wasn't just because she was born different from others. She thought it unfair that other tigers got to choose what they wanted to be, but Fauna didn't.
"I don't want to lose you," Alegra finally said as she stifled a yawn. "I lost all my family to Ari; I don't want you gone too."
When Hailey and the Scouts found Alegra, she was thirteen and wandering all by herself. She had a bad injury on one of her paws that prevented her from hunting, and she was beyond malnourished. Further investigation had proved that she narrowly escaped from Ari and his pride.
The only reason she survived was because her brothers died defending her, giving her the chance to speed off and hide. She was more than eager to join the protection of the clan.
"Well, you're not!" Fauna promised and the young Helper rested her head on Fauna's shoulder and Fauna stroked her hair gently to provide her comfort. "No matter what happens, I'll be there for you. I promise!"
~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~
It was the morning light that woke Alegra up. She looked around and saw that she was laying on Fauna's laps. The duo had been stargazing when they fell asleep. For a while, Alegra just watched her best friend with terror in her eyes. She loved Fauna like a sister and the thought of losing her was too much to bear.
Fauna's lids fluttered open as even in her sleep, she could feel her friend's stare on her. With groggy eyes, she stretched her arms above her head as she let out a loud yawn. Despite the peaceful sleep, she didn't feel rested. She felt troubled as she wasn't sure what fate had in store for her, but she wasn't about to allow doubt stop her from protecting her family.
"The others are going to come to fetch water soon," she told Alegra who nodded and stood. Together, they walked towards the pond which was clear and clean. The cleanest source of water in their territory. They knelt before the pond, and using their palms as cups, they drank to their satisfaction, then they were on their way back to the Helper's quarters.
Though Alegra said nothing as they walked, Fauna could feel the waves of emotions she emitted. She could feel her apprehension and concern. She was afraid too. She didn't want to have to face Ari. She didn't want to fight either, but she had no choice. The lion had to be stopped.
Saber is already at the entrance waiting for me. Upon seeing him, Alegra bows her head and retreats into the chamber to wake the children up, leaving me alone with my other best friend and my adopted brother.
"I'm nervous," I tell him before he has the chance to ask me how I feel and he offers me a tight-lipped smile. "I heard Bone can be very intense, and he doesn't look like one to hold back on a novice." She shuddered at the idea of putting herself through physical activities.
She didn't have any endurance whatsoever. Sometimes, she wondered if she was truly a werefolk. Perhaps everyone was mistaken about her and she was simply a human child who wandered too far from home.
"You have neither showered, nor have you eaten," Saber noted and Fauna shrugged.
"It's first light. Barely anyone is awake, Saber. Is it advisable to eat before such strenuous activity? Can't I just do that later?" She wondered. The truth was that she wasn't sure she could stomach anything. Nerves were dancing in her stomach and she feared she would throw up anything she put into her system.
Saber was however hearing none of that. He furrowed his brows at her, his violet eyes intense and she sighed. Saber was way too protective. He wouldn't even allow her to skip a meal.
"Father is waiting for you in the throne room. You have barely been having meals with us, and he wants to wish you luck before your first training which is with me."
Fauna was taken aback. Her snowy white brows furrowed.
"I thought Bone was the one training me."
"He is going to train your physical form. I, on the other hand am tasked with making sure your other senses keep up. You need to stop relying on just your eyes and also make use of your nose," he touched her nose with a finger, then moved to her ears, "and your ears."
Fauna looked back at the entrance. She wanted to bid the children goodbye, but she understood she had a long day ahead of her. She nodded and followed after him.
Much to her surprise, the clan was already full of life. Some Sniffers dashed out of the Sniffer's quarters with food in their skin bags and they headed towards the borders and I knew they were about to take over from the night watchers. The ones who noticed them all waved at Saber, but only a few acknowledged Fauna.
"Good luck out there, Ginger," Fauna called out to the only female Sniffer they had. The young and usually quiet woman looked back and smiled widely at Fauna, but said nothing. Sometimes, Fauna could swear she was mute.
The Helpers were already up and about, making sure everything was clean and food was taken from the Hunters' quarters and distributed around the clan. Some Healers walked out with their skin bags, probably to get herbs to make medicines. Usually, Fauna would still be asleep by this time, so she never really got to see how beautifully chaotic everything was.
By the time she usually woke, there would be food in the chamber which she would eat with the cubs before she pranced around, offering help to whomever wanted. She wanted to be like everyone else. They all fit in somewhere, and they were happy to contribute to the clan.
Well, many were unhappy, but they were reasonable enough to know they needed to do their part in order for peace and harmony to reign in the clan. Safety and feeding were the most important things, not comfort nor happiness.
They walked into the throne room where Lord Bruce was already seated at the dining log which is covered with deer meat and some vegetables and fruits for Fauna. Around the dining log also sat Hailey, Zara, Bone, Ryker and Kali. Usually, Only the heads of groups sat at the Lord's dining log and the Soldiers were already represented by Bone. Zara however kept showing up, and eventually, she was allowed to stay.
"Our very own Lady Fauna," Zara called out with enthusiasm without even looking up from the piece of meat and they all moved, creating space for Saber and Fauna who took their place at the log.
"Splendid morning, everyone," Fauna greeted and earned grunts of acknowledgements in response. Saber chuckled at the sight of them all devouring their meals like ravenous beasts, then he went on to join them in doing so.
Fauna who had learnt grace from the lions picked a huge fleshy mango and bit into it. Unlike the other tigers, she stopped to chew properly.
"Fauna, I can hear your heart pounding. Are you afraid of training?" Lord Bruce addressed the girl, a deer's arm in his hand and she looked down at her mango like it was the most interesting thing in the room.
"More like she's nervous," Saber came to her rescue. She stole a peek at him and spared him an appreciative smile.
"Well, there's nothing to be nervous about," Zara tried to pacify the young girl. "Fighting is fun."