Meeting the Dad

The giant man used his hands to stretch out his legs. When he stood from the rock it sounded like I tree falling as his joints and bones cracked and creaked.

He steeped down from the large stone and reached out his hands. Then he placed them next to each other with his palms up. Caith put his hands in his with his palms down and they closed their eyes touching their foreheads together. Caith looked like a child next to his taller father with dark wrinkled leather skin. It's only when they broke away and both opened their eyes that she could see their matching ice blue eyes.

"Sionnach," he said smiling and facing her now. Slightly surprised by the use of her full name she stood up straighter.

"I am Yaatra Parvat, Caith's father." He said placing his palms together over his chest.

'Namaste, young shifter.' He said now in her mind.

"Namaste," she replied out loud fumbling to reciprocate his posture. Wishing Caith had told her what to do when she met his dad.

"Come," he replied straightening up and dropping his hands to his sides.

He then turned away from them and headed down the mountain in a different direction than they came from.

They followed him down a ways to a small canvas tent. It was very large and seems to be supported by three sticks.

They followed Yaatra into the tent. Not surprisingly it was huge. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling so densely that it looked like an upside down dry field.

On one side was a large sleeping mat resting on the dirt floor. On the other side hung pots and pans and a large canteen made from some sort of plant. Under it a single cup and kettle sat on a matt.

Yaatra picked the kettle and began adding dried herbs from the ceiling into it. Then he added water from the canteen and set it flat on his palm. It took her a while to figure he was using magic to heat it.

To Sionna the silence was deafening. 'Were they communicating telepathically so that she couldn't hear? Did they just enjoy not speaking to each other? They haven't seen each other in however long and they are acting like it's just a normal morning and they live together.'

A clatter of cookware woke her from her thoughts as Caith pulled two metal tea cups from the bag.

Before she knew it she was struggling to hold onto a steaming hot cup of tea and ushered out the door by the two giants. They all found large boulders and Sionna found a smaller one and they all sat looking out into the sky line.

Rocky mountains grew from the earth like flowers in a garden.

Their peaks stood out against the blue sky and for a moment she forgot where she was. She felt the crispy air in her lungs and the heat radiating off the cup in her hands. The wind roared in her ears as her eyes focused on every rock and plant in front of her.

"Sionnach," said a deep bellowing voice that nearly shook her off the rock in sheer surprise.

"Caith has told me that you do not know where you came from or why you have the ability to harness elements so well." Yaatra said to her, his blue eyes clouded with concern and worry. She now studied him like she did the mountains in the skyline.

"There was a story that Caith's mother told me of a land across the great sea. A land unknown to the our world. In the land where shifters who could only transform into one animal. Yet they were able to harness all elements of magic."

"These people were incredibly in touch with nature and that's why they were able to harness them all. And it was their connection with nature that only allowed them to take the form of one animal. They were like shifters of the Emerald Isles in the way that their body actually changed during transitions. Not just their appearance."

"So I am from this other other world?" She asked gingerly taking a sip of her cooled tea.

"I think you are from the Emerald Isles and that world. As I believe Caith told you shifters from the isles are skilled in death and life magic. You also have their complexion. The people from the other world usually had black hair and dark skin."

"Oh," she replied watching him sip his tea as well. He took a deep breath and looked down at her again.

"Have you ever tried taking other forms besides a fox?"

Sionna's eyes grew wide and she looked down at the rocks at her feet. She had never really tried, becoming a fox is something she could always do and she didn't even remember doing it for the first time.

"No, I guess not." She replied finally feeling the breeze cut through her dress running shivers down her spine.

"I will help you lift the curse but first you must need work on controlling your powers."

"Why can't you help us get rid of the curse first?" Caith interjected. Negative emotions brewing under his breath as he spoke to his dad.

"Do not let your emotions control you son. This is for the best." He said calmly taking another sip of tea. Sionna could feel the emotions spewing out of Caith like smoke.