𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗼𝗺.
𝗛𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲𝘁...
All Ivy has ever known is hiding. Since the day she was born, she has stayed hidden behind her m...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Ivory
I sat on the bed in my room, staring at my reflection. It was still a shock to see. How does one handle such a drastic change in appearance? The most jarring being the extra appendage coming out of my lower back. I never studied much about human anatomy. My focus was always on animals. Though I remember reading once that humans used to have tails and there were certainly other bipedal creatures with tails.
I cocked my head to the side as I watched my tail flick behind me. I wish I knew what purpose it would serve me. So far, I don't have the slightest idea.
A knock at the door broke my trail of thought. "Yes?"
"May I come in?" Ayla spoke from behind the door.
"Sure." I said.
Ayla stepped into the room and sat in one of the plush chairs. She wore a long-sleeved dark navy blue dress that hugged around her waist and her hair flowed down her back in shimmering white waves. I noticed she was holding a dark green shimmering fabric.
"How... are you doing?" She asked hesitantly.
I sighed and turned back to my reflection. "Okay..."
"I thought maybe you would like some help getting ready for the memorial?" She set the fabric down on the dresser and pulled a basket full of brushes, ties, and bottles out of the bathroom. She stood behind the wooden chair with her hands resting on the back of it, waiting for me to take a seat. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to go to this memorial. If I was ready. But I guess no one is ever ready for their parents' passing. I shifted into the seat and sighed. As much as I wanted to just stay in, if I didn't go, I would regret it.
Ayla picked up one of the ornate bottles from the basket and poured the liquid into her hands, then gathered my hair and started running her fingers through it. She was gentle as she combed through the white locks.
"Your mother used to do my hair all the time growing up. We never knew our father and our mother died of illness when we were young. Willow took care of me." Ayla said with a somber voice. I watched her in the mirror as she took several strands and began to braid them.
"Her leaving must have been hard." I swallowed, forgetting all too easily that I wasn't the only one grieving. Ayla lost her sister as well as I lost my mother. I was all she had left in this world.
"It was. At the time, I didn't quite understand it. The pack wars had just ended and everything was a mess. We were working hard to restore the village and patch up the wounded. The next thing I knew, she and William were getting married in secret. It was the dead of night. I warned her that this was against the law. That the goddess would come for them." Ayla choked on her words as she finished with my hair.
I tried to imagine what it was like. What was going through my parents' mind as they made vows to each other under the light of the full moon? Ayla standing there worried for her friend and sister.
