Thrive

Chp1

I was laying on my back in a field, Grass stretched out before me for miles. The sun shown on my face, a gentle breeze rustling the grass .It all seemed so untouched, so quiet, the wind sounded as though it were speaking. As absurd as it was I listened intently to see what it had to say. It spoke as if to an old friend excited in a whisper of awe. It told of stories older than time itself.
It was in no language that I understood, a dialect so ancient only the gods could decipher. The whispers haulted silence stealing in its wake leaving me  sad. Never knowing what they had set out to say. I felt my heartbeat quicken, the hairs on the back on my neck stand on end,my body reacting to a threat unseen. Scanning the surrounding area my eyes falling on a pair of yellow ones.

Bolting out of bed feeling  sick, the dream hadn't been new by any means it had always succeeded in shaking me, I went to rinse my mouth in the bathroom sink. My father told me this dream was a sign of my Kai reaching out to me. I've tried to reach out to my Kai on numerous occasions there has been little luck. The bitter disappointment the dreams leaves always is a bad start to my day. The daughter of the village chief can't even speak to her Kai let alone access it, how mighty she must be. I splash cold water on my face looking in the mirror at my dull green eyes. The memory of luminous yellow ones mocking me.
     Pressing my hands on the cold porcelain of the sink helps calm me. Closing my eyes I inhale the cold air of morning. Three seconds is all I allow before leaving the bathroom to start get ready for the day. Pulling out my clothes opting for a dark hoodie and some joggers. I slip them on not wanting to face the mirror again, those predatory yellow eyes fresh on the forefront of my mind.
   My hair is this mangled mane that is inherited from my mother, though she has managed to make hers sleek and orderly. Tugging the knots out I put in a bun that will do for the day. I hesitate at the kitchen door, trying for a half smile I'm sure looks more like a grimace I enter.
    Coffee with have to fix this day, Walking further into the kitchen I see my father sitting at the counter eating some eggs; my mom made him. The coffee pot is completely empty; I forgot to set the timer last night.
No one else in the house drinks coffee. My parents and brother say it doesn't agree with their Kai.
  Kai are their feline forms, that they have all seemed to master.This isn't an issue with me as my Kai has yet to reach out;I'm having reservations it even exists.
    I get a light hit to the side of my head as my brother hops up on the counter grabbing his cereal.
    "Hey, tiger you okay there?" He asked his green eyes looking into my own . My brother is three years my junior at a whopping 14 years.
     Realizing he was referencing that I was just sitting there staring at my now full Pot of coffee;I grab the pot and pour my self a cup. Straight black coffee is my one guilty pleasure.
  "You know, You could call me by my name loser." I say smirking into my cup bumping him with my hip making his cereal jostle in the bowl. Crossing over to sit by dad at the bar, I raise a challenging brow at my brother. My dad reaching up a hand to affectionately scratch the back of my head.
   Cadence rolls his rolls his eyes, " Sure Adrian, I could call you by your name or I could keep a family tradition alive, that has been around for years."
   Tiger,my nickname since before cadence was born , my parents were so sure I was going to get in touch with my Kai at an early age. I seemed so in tune with everything in the tribe: the teachings, the songs, and speaking within the community. My dad says the nickname was because I was such a little tigress, my Kai seemingly right under the surface.
   This nickname is a nice slap is the face now that my Kai has yet to show itself beyond my dreams, and my heightened reflexes and speed.
"Cadence, Adrain no need to starts these antics so early before the sun has barely touched the sky", my father chastised a smile gracing his aging face.
  " Let us just get through one morning without angst, yeah?" He finished putting a piece of egg in his mouth, nose crinkling up at the smell of my coffee. While he may not approve of my choice to drink it, but he would never stop me. Believing I must learn life's lessons own my own.
" Honey, I wish you would stop with the coffee you may be able to sleep better if you did." my mother chimes in picking up on my dads non verbal distaste. She on the other hand, has no problem telling me she has displeasure in what I'm doing.
" Ma you know this makes me more alert in the morning.", I replied taking a sip to punctuate enjoying the slight bitter taste.
She makes a dissatisfied noise in the back of her throat at my non answer;this isn't the first time we had this discussion.
She does take the opportunity to drop this discussion before it leads anywhere too serious putting a plate of eggs and toast in front of me; my stomach rumbling.
    The Kai people have a very acute way of of communicating through non verbal cues that make living together seemless. We have our cat halves to thank for this.Basically just being a human amongst my people even I've managed to read the soft signs of ease amongst the people of my village. We have a quiet understanding of each other unlike that of the lanthor people.
  The lanthor our neighboring village, is a village of wolves. They have a more direct way of communication that make most Kai's ear twitch with distaste.
  " I have to meet with Rune today." My fathers says swallowing the last of his food. He picks up his plate to put it into the sink. Though this is just to excuse to be near my mother the two are rarely apart at home. A good sign for a true mated pair.
   " He says he has much to discuss with me about our hunting grounds. For the winter." He tells us wrapping his arms around my mothers waist from behind a deep purr in his chest.
  "Little late in the year, is it not my love?" My mother points out leaning her head back onto my dads chest a purr making it way out of her throat. My parents are a fine example of a fitting true pair.

   At the age of sixteen you can find your true pair only by touch. My father says the touch of your true mate feels like the fires of hell and the beautiful embrace of the sea all at once.
Some Kai and lanthor alike decide to reject their true mate in lull of a chosen one. This is a messy process that can be very painful though it is done many avoid it.
  " Not very my love, the moose have just traveled back the way from the north and have settled on the edge of the territories. You know how messy this could be for us." He accentuated his sentence with a kiss to the back of her head before releasing her to start dishes.
  " This could be very messy Tye, The hunts being that close together." My mother replied the beginnings of a frown making it's way on her face. My father met her eye a smile curling at his lip.
"No worries,love. Rune and I shall work it out there are plenty of caribou out for both clans this season." He told her turning his attention back to the plate in his hand. " Food is plentiful with the other herds around as well."
" Even still, Cadence I want you to be careful out in the woods during hunts and Adrian no going near those caribou with out a hunting party near by." My mother ordered. "Last thing we need is another misunderstanding with those lanthors."
  "We can handle those mutts" my brother replied with his mouth so charmingly full.
  "And I don't need protecting mother, I can bring down a caribou even in a my human form." I stated a little bitterly stabbing and egg too hard.
" Hush both of you, it isn't about ability it is about keeping the shaky peace we have established with the lanthors." My mother said sternly.
" Adrian, we know you can handle yourself out there but with temperaments being the way they are as of late your mother and I think you should stay closer to home." My father said finishing the dishes for the morning.
I looked at him my eyes narrowing, my lack of Kai has not stopped me from being a proud hunter amongst my people. If anything it made my kills even more legendary. If I am to lead my people I must provide for them.
"Father I must hunt, How else am I to prove my self to the tribe?" I ask trying my best to stay calm.
" You are my daughter you have nothing to prove to the tribe. You should stay close to home where you are safe and try and reach out to your Kai." My father stated looking me in the eye daring me to question his word.
   I narrowing my eyes my green meeting his dark blue. My Father doesn't make a habit of mentioning my Kai saying it'll reach out when it reaches out. For him to mention this now is a blow I didn't need.
" You and I both know that is not true, there have been mutterings in the tribe. About having a weak leader without a Kai. To close me off like this would be confirming this to be true." I tell him my voice hard a step closer to a yell.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice my brother start to get uncharacteristically fidgety. My mother immediately moves to start ushering my brother out of the room. Raising my voice like this could be considered a challenge if my father decides to take to bait.
   His blue eyes narrow as he straightens his posture to a much less relaxed position.
" Your are to stay in the village and that is final"My father stated barely raising his voice. He hadn't needed to the power clearly there.
   I matched his eye contact tensions thick between the two of us. Swallowing down the bitterness in my throat I look away.
"Yes sir." I answered. Before he had a chance to reply I walked over to table grabbing my book bag and was out the door.