The Air Howlers Book I ✔

20

Princess Amberlee's birthday celebrations were in full swing all over the city. Carnival performers, fortune tellers, acrobats and even exotic animal whisperers worked their magic much to the crowd's cheers and pleasure. Walking through the busy streets below the palace grounds, Ki and Emmie watched with wide eyes and fascination as an animal whisperer from Eslea, a country across the sea, performed tricks with her large black panther. The woman's black hair was tied back in a tightly braided ponytail and she moved with such agility that Ki thought her slender limbs were made of rubber. Her golden-brown face was painted with streaks of black, creating the illusion that she had whiskers and her eyes glowed like that of a cat.

"I hope to visit Eslea someday," Emmie said as they watched the whisperer finish her show to big applause from the people surrounding them. Ki and Emmie clapped along. The animal whisperer bowed and so did her panther. Ki was wary of the large cat as they didn't exist in Aethorin. All the exotic wildlife was located across the sea in Eslea, Breidal and Ospyria. Here in Aethorin they had bears, deer and wild horses that roamed the large plains, but except for the bears, they didn't want to eat people.

"I've even heard that some can shape-shift into an animal." Ki looked at Emmie, thinking she was joking, but the Earth Howler nodded with a straight-looking face. And here Ki thought it didn't get any better than controlling the elements.

"I never learnt much about the other countries' gifts," Ki said, fiddling with a loose string in her grey woollen shirt. "My uncle apparently didn't think it was that important."

A thick accented voice startled the two girls. "My people possess a great gift." The animal whisperer stood behind them, her panther sat patiently by her side. Ki nearly balked by being this close to such a large animal that wasn't a tame horse, but the feline barely even looked at her. It just sat there, still as a statue, which almost frightened Ki even more.

"Your performance was amazing," Emmie said, bowing her head slightly at the Eslean girl. She couldn't have been much older than them.

"Thank you," she replied, returning the bow. "Takita and I have travelled a long way to be here for your princess' celebrations." At the sound of her name, the panther looked up at her owner and Ki could have sworn she saw the animal smile.

"Are you going back soon then?" Emmie asked, not looking too worried about being so close to a natural predator. Earth Howlers generally weren't afraid of animals, but possessed great respect for all creatures.

"We leave the day after tomorrow. We miss home." She patted the panther, Takita, on the head.

"I hope to be fortunate enough to visit someday," Emmie smiled looking over at Ki, who found it hard to not openly stare at the large cat, which sat just a few feet away.

"Same," Ki said nodding as she peeled her eyes away from the feline. The whisperer nodded as a thank you.

"I must go prepare for the next event." The girl bowed to Ki and Emmie before turning on her heels and disappeared into the crowd. The two Howlers stood as if rooted to the spot, staring after the foreign girl. It wasn't until someone bumped into Ki, nearly knocking her off her feet that the girls decided to get going.

"Just imagine, being able to communicate with any animal you meet," Emmie gushed as they returned to the palace grounds. They had to change into their formal dress robes and rehearse once more before the evening's show and Ki was thankful that their attire wasn't actual dresses, but consisted of pants, shirt and a long-sleeved robe made of fine silk, complimenting their elements. Ki's was pale grey with dark grey swirls representing the wind. She'd always been more comfortable in pants than skirts and being at the palace, watching all the court ladies in their big skirts and heels further proved to Ki how lucky she'd been that she hadn't ended up like that. For these women, appearance was everything. The Whisper Court had nothing better to do all day than gossip about the other ladies and spread silly whispers of who had kissed which servant in the dark corners of the palace.