Child of frost

Woman of flame

The day when the older females came to take her child name away from her had been the happiest of her life so far. Her mother had been very proud, she had wept and laughed at the same time, trying to sing along with the other females as the village shaman cut off the girl's child lock. From now on she would never again cut her hair, as it was custom in their clan. The females of the clan of the leopard were proud of their long flowing hair, and rightly so. She had envied her mother her thick dark locks, so long they reached her knees and shiny like polished stones. Now she would grow her own mane and from now on she was Aytha Un Or, woman of flames. The name was chosen because of her flaming red hair, a heritage from her sire, Walks in silence. He too had red hair, and it made him very sought after by the females but it was only Aytha's mother, Reba Dir Or, woman who dances, who had been his mate and born him a daughter. Others had born him sons, but in this clan sons were welcomed and daughters celebrated. It was the way it had to be, the way it always had been.

When her child lock had been removed and her new name announced she and some other girls also come of age were taken to the sacred hut where the shaman would tell them what sort of life they would live, and most importantly, if they ever would find a real mate and have cubs. One of the other girls was before Aytha, her name was Ishi Eba Or, woman who fishes, and she was Aytha's best friend. She was told that she would be joined with her true mate rather soon, and that she would have two cubs. The shaman said that her mate would have black hair and a scar on his face. The other girls immediately started to giggle, the silence in the hut had been absolute and the atmosphere tense and loaded since they all wanted to know these things. One of the girls made an obscene gesture. "Ishi, sounds like you are going to carry the cubs of Running slowly."

Ishi stretched her tongue out, Running slowly was one of the younger males of the clan and he was given the name because he had rather short legs and was very stocky in build. " Well at least he is strong!"

The shaman sent the girls a strict glance. "Silence young ones, Aytha was it?"

Aytha nodded, she felt herself tremble with anxious energy, who would she find to be her true mate? She wanted that so bad, they all did. Only with a true mate would you be able to conceive a cub and all the girls were just dying to have a cub of their own. Having a child meant that you were no longer addressed as N'shay, huntress, but Matay, lifegiver. The mothers of the clan didn't really have to do much work themselves for there would always be a small horde of young ones eager to take care of a cub while the mother worked with something else. Cubs were precious to the clan, and those who bore many children seen as blessed and special. The shaman hummed and stretched out a hand, put it on Aytha's forehead. "Oh young one, I see such fire in you. You are strong, and you have to be, I see much sorrow ahead."

Aytha felt her heart drop. "Sorrow?"

The shaman nodded, there were shadows in her eyes. "Yes, but it is yet far ahead young one, worry not. It will be alright."

Ishi hollered. "Her mate, her mate, do you see her mate?"

The shaman had to grin, these young ones, just robbed of their status as children hadn't yet learned to act with the dignified calm of a woman. Some never did but most calmed down eventually. " I do see Aytha's mate yes, he is very tall and very strong and his hair is as golden as the sun itself"

Aytha felt herself blush down to her toes, a golden haired mate? Ishi cheered. " Lion clan, Aytha is gonna find her mate in the lion clan!"

The lion clan was the largest of the clans and most of the males were blonde and rather tall, since the clan was so large it was strong and they had many things and they rarely had to starve. Aytha swallowed hard, a male of the lion clan, that was quite a catch. The shaman told the other girls their fortune too and Aytha didn't really listen, she was too caught by her own thoughts. The shaman hadn't said if it would happen soon though, she hoped it would. They hadn't met with the other clans in many summers and it was about time that they sought them out again to trade and find new mates for the young ones. Aytha knew that she wouldn't find a true mate within her own clan, they had some sort of instinct that prevented them from being joined with a relative and every male in the clan was more or less related to Aytha's mother. She could bring any male she wanted to her bed furs for some fun except from her own father and her brothers but she would only be truly mated with someone not off her own blood. The shaman said it was good that way, that it prevented cubs from being born weak or ill.