Sibbecai's Acceptance

Leaving the ashes, Zichri returned to the forest. He stalked and sprinted, making sure he would not be seen or followed—in case there were other hunters around—as he tried to think of the places Sibbecai would be. He returned to the meadow where they had fought and started looking in all the trees. Her scent was close, but which tree was she in? He searched the ground for her footprints, then the branches for her tail. It was the movement of her climbing down one of the trees that caught his attention.

A couple Zuled hunters spotted her as she crouched at the base of the tree. The whistled signals behind him told him it was too late to draw them away from her.

"Sibbecai, run!" he yelled.

She didn't move.

"Sibbecai!" He needed to get her away, but time was short. He knelt to pick her up, but her claws dug into his shoulder.

"Zichri, the baby!" she gasped.

Zichri covered her with his body, hoping that they would leave her alone, even if he died. But a growling stopped the Zuled hunters' advance. He glanced over his shoulder to see Supi. The other tribe stopped. Supi yowled and they fled. Supi gave chase for good measure.

"Aah!" Sibbecai cried.

"Sibbecai?" Zichri asked.

She cried out again.

"Catch the child, Zichri," Supi said, returning from the chase.

Zichri moved his hands between Sibbecai's legs as the child emerged and cried. He bit through the cord and wrapped the child in the cloth Sibbecai had over her legs. She sat back against the tree and Zichri handed their baby boy to her. Then she spoke words that sounded familiar. Words she must have spoken them to him after their fight.

"My child, welcome to the world. Your soul has been selected by the spirits. This mission is yours and yours alone. Be still and let the spirit come over you and claim you as their own. Allow the marks to appear so you may converse with them and soon gain their acceptance."

The child wailed and Sibbecai held him close. Zichri wrapped his arms around both of them.

"Just a little longer, my child. Then you may rest with the spirits to watch over you and guide you."

The child curled and Zichri watched the claws come in and heard a small pop as the jaw separated and the tiger teeth came in. Patches of fur grew around his eyes like a mask and the tip of his tail rolled out of the cloth he was wrapped in.

"Rest, my child, your pain will soon leave you soon."

The soft cry turned into a wail, before his body went limp.

"Welcome to the world, my child. The mighty tiger has selected you. May you learn well those things which he has to teach." Then Sibbecai kissed her son's forehead then let him latch onto her breast to feed. The boy suckled and purred.

"What do you want to call him?" Zichri asked.

"Rydian," Sibbecai replied, closing her eyes.

Supi rubbed his head against Sibbecai's cheek and she cried. "I am well pleased, my child."

"Thank you, Supi," she whispered.

Zichri pulled her a little closer and Sibbecai rested, finally having received Supi's complete acceptance.