*POV* Cassy Iris Aleera
I took the small deer path to find the stream Mink had said was just a little ways into the woods from the camp. I walked silently focusing on the wild beauty that surrounded me, all the different colors of green with the occasional brown and yellows with white in the mix.
It was beautiful, it did not take long to find the small stream. The water ran smoothly. The soft melodious sounds of the water made me want to sing as I lay on my back and began to run my hands through the water to untangle the mess. Mink had given me soap, so I applied a hefty amount.
I started humming in my mind as I worked the soap into my wet mess of hair. It took a bit, but soon it was done.
But I kept my head above the water as I closed my eyes and enjoyed myself. I felt the weight on my chest moments later, I smiled at Seal and continued.
But I shot up when she licked my face, in horror, I scrambled back only to sit in the stream. The cold water soaking my waist and lower stomach, I took deep breaths as the cold seeped in.
I glanced up at the white and black striped cat-like creature that stood on the bank staring at me. Its expression was playful if it could even be called an expression, but I could sense it in its eyes.
It was big but also seemed small and baby-like in its actions as it moved slowly moving its mouth ever closer to my bare foot. I was looking in its eyes not watching, I felt the pressure as it's month closed around my toes and started to pull me from the water.
I wasn't about to throw a rock at it, making it mad with my foot in its month was not a pretty thought.
I slowly began to pick myself up, and after a few moments the feline put my foot down. I gratefully scrambled out of the water to stand beside it, its head coming up to my waist as she brought her face to sniff me up and down. I felt fear, but it was different, kind of unusual, I was excited in an odd way.
Lightly I moved my hand to place it on her head, she purred pushing against my hand. I grinned giggly, slowly beginning to pet the tiger on her face and down her back. But she moved away trotting down the path a ways, I followed her.
"Maybe she wants to show me something?" I thought happily, she stopped and waited a couple times but when I would reach her she would continue.
For a moment I realized we were walking farther away from camp, but I did not dwell on it long and continued to follow.
After a while we entered a clearing, the tiger stopped to lick my hand before trotting over to-. I stopped short. In the middle of the clearing was a much larger tiger, laying down with one paw out in front of it bloody and caught in something. The smaller tiger was rubbing faces with its mother now.
But as I stared it rose up looking at me with intense eyes, I took a small step back. Then it spoke. "A human?" It was massive at full height towering over me a couple feet.
I stared in fright wondering if I was brought here to be eaten. "I do not eat humans, little girl, But it seems my Monique has brought you here to help me."
"Was she reading my mind?!" I panicked. She seemed to grin. "I am. Now if you are here to help me please get on with it." I nodded, though I was not sure how I was going to help.
I timidly walked over to look at the paw, stuck in between the center pad and the smaller pads there was some kind of metal.
I inspected it closer, I wasn't too surprised to see lit silver being used to hurt great beasts like this one. "This is going to hurt!" I thought. And I felt the tiger tighten its muscles in anticipation.
I gripped the fist sized long pole of metal and tried to pull it. It came out quite easily and I looked up at the pained face of the tiger. She moved to lick her paw with a great big red tongue that sent saliva flying.
I smiled gladly to see she was still able to move the injured paw. She bent down, to look me in the eye. "Girl, what is your name.?"
"Cassy." I thought in reply. She chuckled in my head. "Well dear, you saved my life. Now I will give you a gift in return." I started to protest but stopped.
"I will give you Monique." She decided and bent down to rub noses with her kit before Monique moved to stand beside me.
As I stared in disbelief, not knowing what to do. A bright white light gathered at the base of her neck and on her chest. Before it streamed out of her and slammed into me.
I screamed, and so did Monique. Those her's was a loud air splitting roar. The power lifted me a couple feet off the ground as my body was shocked over and over again.
When I woke up, something was licking my face. I opened my eyes to see Seal. I pushed her away before pulling her close. I groaned and pulled my aching body up to sit cross-legged, the big white tiger was gone and I was alone in the clearing minis Seal.
I took deep breaths to calm my head, which was roaring with a splitting headache, when a lot of men and women came rushing from the trees, and even some from the sky on the winds, I quickly stood as they approached weapons drawn.
Clay led them, fire in both hands. "Cassy? Is that you?" He extinguished the fire in his palms and came forward.
"Are you okay? We heard a loud noise and came to check it— Whoa what happened to your hair!" "My hair?" I thought as I moved my hands up to feel, in surprise I started patting it down, it had all been standing on end, pointing to the sky. I tried to lay it down but all was lost.
A girl came up to stand beside Clay, brown eyes full of marth as she tried to hold her laughter. "Clay, we can't find anything for miles." She reported to him.
He nodded. "Maricela, maybe you could help her with her hair." He said, before turning around and ordering everyone back to camp.
Maricela led me away from the others and back towards the stream. I was glad I had left the soap on the bank when we started to wash my hair once again, when we were done Maricela spoke.
"What even happened to you? I am only wondering because we definitely heard a scream and you were randomly laying in the forest." I finished ringing out my hair and shrugged. 'I remember what happened, but I am not sure how I would communicate with her to tell her.
And would she even believe me?' I wondered, as I picked up the slimy bar off the ground. She sighed. "You really don't talk much, do you?"
When we returned back to camp it had mostly been packed up, and everyone was getting ready to move out. Maricela sighed. "Well, best get ready for a long day of walking."
I followed her over to a group of young people who were more my age then hers. "There you are Mari!" She groaned, walking past the group, deciding against walking up to them. I continued to walk behind her unsure of where I was supposed to be in this group.
"Mari! Don't be like this, we can walk together!" Maricela picked up her pace and started running.
I slowed to a stop not sure I wanted to run after her, she seemed to be running from the young man who came barreling past me as he sprinted after her. The rest of the group came up beside me.
"You are that water mage? Yeah?" Asked a boy. I wasn't sure how to answer, because last time I knew I wasn't able to control water at all.
They crowd around me. "I heard water mages could kill someone with a look, and wouldn't be able to find a trace. Is that true?" I shrugged, unsure if it was true.
I knew little to nothing about the spells the water elementals used. I had no use for it. Because I hadn't been able to do the simplest one, like how to raise a drop of water up out of any body of water. Or dry ground.
But that one was harder. Those around me started asking all sorts of questions, until Mink came to my rescue. "You rascals get ready to start moving!" She ordered as she wrapped a protective arm around my shoulders.
"Don't mind them, they don't mean any harm." I hadn't been offended by their questions, I just had no way of talking to them.
Tears came to my eyes, and Mink pulled me into a hug. "Let's get going. You can ride with me." She pulled me back to smile. I tried to smile back. And took the hand she held out to me.
Mink's use of air magic was fascinating to watch as she moved down the row of the injured slowly and effortlessly picking them up one by one. I was fascinated.
When she had them all in the air. She grabbed my hand and stepped up into the air and I followed, floating beside her. Then we started off.