Talisen and Meriweather

The Village of Denai 

Talisen

The thunder season was soon to begin, and the Shifter tribe was anxious about food. Soon the freeze would come and there would be nothing left for them to gather. This concern above all else annoyed Talisen, he should be out hunting so they would have plenty of food for there people, especially the few pregnant females. Their nutrition was incredibly important to the future of their tribe, yet father had called him to the long hut. 

Inside the hut sat a middle aged man, his hands muddling dried spices and roots together into dust. His silver hair swept back in a ponytail at the base of his neck, and his woody brown eyes focused wholeheartedly on the task at hand. The red and gold feathers in his hair the only hint at his other form. He glanced up at his son and smirked. 

"You took far too long to get from your home to here." Vin commented, his tone was amused but also annoyingly knowing. 

"I was out hunting." Talisen replied hanging his bow and quiver on the waiting hooks by the door before approaching his father. Vin turned his focus back to finishing the medicine in the bowl. 

"Hunting a female I hope. You do realize it's nearly The Season." Vin asked casually and the younger man frowned running his hands through brilliant crimson hair. The feathers in his hair bristled in annoyance. 

"Father, I made it clear I am more worried about keeping our clan alive this winter. Just because the Mermaids only come to land once a bloody year doesn't mean I can ignore my duties and go court them." He spoke these words full of pure frustration. They had this discussion every year for the last three now and multiple times a month it felt like and sometimes twice a day. 

"Our clan is slowly dying, Talisen. We have barely enough hunters to provide food, and the few women folk we have are constantly working to keep the huts and gather supplementary foods. We have 3 children and 2 women pregnant and unmarried hunters are leaving by the day. Not to mention of the 15 women living here only 5 can bear young. I fear unless the mermaids bless us we will cease to exist as the Freylin tribe has." Vin explained with a deep sigh. The mermaid curse had been effective. 

"Who left?" Talisen was suddenly felt tension in his stomach. There were only 20 unmarried hunters in their band now and 12 married… losing any of them could be detrimental to his survival plan. They each needed to provide 4 medium sized kills a day before the freeze in order to survive winter. 

"The Wolf Twins joined the Kalinin clan as guards to a Proven female." Vin explained as he sat back running both hands through his silver hair, removing the band from it. The strands fell aimlessly around his back. 

"FUCK." Talisen wanted to pull his hair out and his father flinched at the ungentlemanly curse."That means our needed kill rate has to double for all the remaining hunters just to make winter."  

"Yes… it does. That's why it is so important that you attend the Solstice. If we can get a single mermaid to bless our clan, or even bless one of our girls with a mark we might have a chance at pulling in some wild ones into our clan." Vin pointed out and it was clear by his expression that this was pure desperation. Talisen ground his teeth for a moment trying to force himself to think rationally. His father was right… and he knew it damn it. This was not what he wanted to do with his life. 

"When do I leave?" Talisen asked and he expected to see a smug smile on his father's face but there was only sadness and regret in the old Man's eyes. 

"Today. You will lead Koda, Reece, and David to the water. It is only a two day walk. You can hunt on the way and way back." Vin explained, forcing back his own feelings and showing his son the mask of a leader. This was for the best of the tribe. Winter wouldn't matter without young ones to carry the legacy forward. 

"As you wish. I will say my farewells and pass on orders to the hunters." Talisen replied standing up and gathering the bow and arrows from their hooks. Both settled easily over his shoulder. 

"As a father, I am sorry about what happened with Sara. As a leader, I must remind you it does no good to be bitter about the blessing of a proven female choosing her mate." Vin told his son, staring down at the bowl of medicine on his desk. He wished there was something he could make, a bandage he could steep that would heal his son's broken heart; but there wasn't. Only time or fresh love could mend that wound. 

Talisen felt his throat tighten as he continued to walk out the door. There was nothing he trusted himself to say to his father. It was not his fault Talisen held such anger inside him. Yet, it was a twist of the knife stuck squarely in Talisen's back 

******🌕******

The Jungle Keern

Adalyn

The wind blew gently through the canopy, and little creatures danced and went about preparing for winter. Adalyn was slowly getting use to the  slithering motion along the jungle floor. It was pleasant, now that she got the hang of it. She could feel the ground vibrations and sense when things were coming. 

So far, a tiger, two small rodents and a great lizard had come across her path and decided not to attack her. Apparently Liama were not seen as food. Granted the feathers at the end of her tail were curious. 

Now that the sun was out, she could see the colors of her scales, ivory white with almost an orange and black Piebald pattern down her scales. Her tail ended in several layers of feathers in warm golden, deep black, and fiery red hues. She found it Ironic that she looked very similar to a Ball Python Morph called Pumpkin Pied. All she was missing was the Jack-o-lantern face on her spots, instead the pattern was almost heart shaped. At least if she was to be part snake, it was a pretty one. 

With that thought she had begun exploring, staying close to the water which she now recognized as an ocean tributary. Following it down nearly until nightfall, she came to a beach. Clear blue water stretching as far as the eye could see. Following the rocky cliff she found a rocky outcrop and the sound of sobbing drew her in. 

Adalyn was hesitant but curious as she looked into the cave. It smelled of iron and metallic notes that burned her nose. Death. She was fairly sure that was the only explanation for the scent of blood to be so heavy. It was almost choking her. Inside the cave were four men, all laying on the ground at awkward angles, and none of them breathing. Near them, holding the head of the largest male on her lap, was a pregnant woman. Her eyes pouring tears. 

Without thinking, Adalyn came into the cave and to the woman's side. "Are you alright? What happened?" Adalyn asked her heart going out to this young mother to be. She was around 25 years old, with long dark hair and fair skin currently smeared with blood. She looked up at Adalyn with piercing grey eyes red with tears. 

"My mates… they… it's all my fault." The girl whimpered and Adalyn pulled her into her arms and held the woman. Hot tears coated Adalyn's dress but she didn't care. 

"Shhhh, shhhhh all the crying isn't good for the baby. Come now, calm down lovely. What happened?" Adalyn spoke as soothingly as she could. She had seen her mother after Adalyn's father died and grandma had soothed her with the same tone. 

"I went for a swim and… and they guarded the house making dinner for me. A… a band of drake kin.. they came and and…" the tears flowed heavier and she couldn't speak. She didn't need to, Adalyn could see the rest in the carnage around them. 

"Okay, okay calm down. Lets… get you cleaned up. Why don't you go sit in the water for a bit." Adalyn let go and took her hand. 

"But...Ry…" she whispered looking at the dead man on her lap. Adalyn frowned and put a hand over his heart. His body was warm. Her hand was quickly slapped away by the girl.

"Mine. He is my mate don't touch him." The girl growled fiercely and Adalyn raised a brow. She had only seen this sort of behavior in the wolves back home. Mate must mean husband here. 

"I know, Missy. However, I am good with medicine. Let me see if I can help." Adalyn ordered and the girl seemed suspicious. 

"Are you a Witch Doctor?" She asked seeming skeptical and Adalyn had to hold back a chuckle. If Grandmother could hear that she would laugh herself to death. 

"I am a witch with healing abilities." Adalyn replied and reached down to check the man's pulse. It was weak, but he was alive to her shock. She slid her hand down to his chest. Broken bones, low oxygen content in his blood… constriction? "Was it a snake who did this?" 

"There were legless drakes like you. Yes." The girl agreed after thinking for a moment. Adalyn checked the other three for pulses and sighed. There were bite wounds with venom oozing from them on the other three. It seemed like they were granted a quick death while the other had been crushed.  At least the one was stable enough, it would just take a lot of effort to force him to survive. Luckily, he didn't seem to have too many internal injuries, and the ones he had were not life threatening. First thing first, Pay respect the the dead. 

"How do you Bury your dead?" Adalyn asked and the girl looked confused. 

"Bury? Like in the ground?" The girl asked and Adalyn nodded. Then she thought of something. 

"How should we deal with the dead ones?" She rephrase the question. There was recognition on the girl's teary face. She looked so pitiful that Adalyn's heart ached despite being younger than this woman she remembered when she found out her boyfriend died in a wreck. She felt like a zombie for days. 

"We send them to sea on a burning boat." She explained and Adalyn couldn't help but smile slightly. A Viking funeral. 

"Is there somewhere to get a boat near by?" Adalyn asked and the young woman nodded. 

"I have one…" she replies wiping her eyes "I use to take them out on the water in it." She explained sorrowfully. 

"Then fetch it. Is there anyone around here that can help us?" Adalyn asked and the girl shook her head. "Good thing I'm a witch." She sighed and began calling on the energy of the earth and air. 

By the time the girl had fetched the boat to the little beach by the cave mouth, Adalyn had moved all three dead men to the sand and placed them properly. The boat was large enough so within the hour, the three were burning on the water. 

"What… what about Ry?" The girl asked as she recovered from grieving. Her eyes cast a longing look back at the cave and Adalyn smiled softly. 

"We will tend to him now that the dead are honored." Adalyn replied heading back toward the house, unaware of the shock she just delivered to the pregnant woman. 

"But… wait is he?" The thought crossed her mind but she dare not say it aloud. Instead the young mother hurriedly made her way back to the cave. 

Adalyn sighed looking around the cave. It was bare. This couldn't possibly be their home. There were barely any supplies and bed mats were not long term bedding. She checked the patient's temperature and waited a moment, counting his pulse below his jaw. Slow, but steady. 

"He should make it. It seems they thought the broken bones would kill him, or someone interrupted their attack." Adalyn mused aloud and the girl gripped her arm hope in those eyes. Adalyn nodded. "My name is Adalyn of the Lyn Witches. What is your name?" 

"Meriweather of the Jungle Keern." The woman replied, kneeling by her husband and beginning to wipe the blood from his skin. "The blood?" She asked. 

"Not his. Your Ry is lucky. The broken bones didn't pierce his organs." Adalyn added, and chuckled noticing the pride in Meriweather's eyes at the praise.  

"He is my Mate and he is strong." She preened. "Where do you life, Adalyn?" The girl asked curiously. Night had fallen outside and traveling in the dark was dangerous even for a Female with several guards and a Mate. 

"A land not of this world." Adalyn replied feeling the pang of homesickness. What she would give for a taste of her grandmother's soup or her mother's hug.