Lament

"Soon my fertility will come! Honor me once more."

"Can you guarantee me a son," Trel scoffed. He shuffled the papers at his desk, his mind preoccupied with matters of more importance than female needs.

"Yes!" she said defiantly. "I have found a way."

The tiger lord looked up from his work. Was it hope that glimmered in his eyes? He winced. Something other than his shoulder pained him, but she had yet to discover it. "How?"

He had asked the question, and she, the daughter of a warrior, braved a dangerous answer. She had already taken his hand, and had survived his wrath. It was a small price for the victories she had won from her lord. "With mystic help," Rum'ni replied with conviction.

Although far older than she, Trel moved swiftly. Escape slipped away into eternity. Trel grabbed her by her mane, and threw her against the wall. A thin stream of blood trickled down her face as she slid to the floor. That his blows should remind her of falling leaves was oddly comforting.

*****

The howling of wind and surf brought Rum'ni back to the present even though time no longer had meaning for her. His time is all that matters, she decided, studying the huddled figure on the shelf of rock that jutted into the sea. The tigress floated above the mystic who knelt before the tomb of her kin. A ghost should not be able to shudder, she thought.

*****

A priest ran through the temple screaming for aid.

"Ni'tara grant my prayer!" Rum'ni's dagger flashed in the candlelight. She had already lost blood at Trel's hands. At least she could release what remained in her body by her own action, and bring about his doom. Her sister-consorts loved her daughter Mia. Many were better mothers than she. Let them all be free of Trel by her sacrifice.

The sea opened before her in endless glory.

*You took what was not yours to take,* the ancient voice declared without pity.

*It was for everyone's good!* she protested.

*No.*

Time warped. She saw what she had wrought. Disease had destroyed all, but the one she hated. The horror of what she had caused had turned her spirit into stone.

*****

She had gained freedom unexpectedly from the one who had stolen her wisdom, and had dropped her onto a lost path. Trel's prayer had released her from her tomb. He took the stone in her stead. It should have been enough to satisfy Ni'tara, but the Goddess had not yet finished with her. She might have some freedom, but she was still bound to the shore.

Could a ghost weep? Rum'ni fluttered over her stone daughter. Where had the wisdom originated to propel the cub to take action to ease her father's pain? What clear vision had one so young possessed? An arc of blue light prevented her from touching her daughter.

*It is her choice and path, * the voice of Ni'tara warned.

*And my continued punishment, but I offer my pain for her release.*

The cold wind rose at her defiant tone. Rum'ni worried not for Kalyn'ri, the final figure in stone. That the tigress had chosen such a fate was no surprise, for she had always loved Trel. She envied and pitied her, but most of all, she prayed that her former sister-consort could comfort her cub. The air tinkled in affirmation. *Thank you, Kalyn'ri. You always protected us.* The wind became a sigh that seemed to say, But not enough.

A low moan escaped the fallen mystic's lips. Rum'ni settled by his side. The white tiger suddenly shouted, "Who!"

*A friend.*

He drew himself up, but continued to shiver.

*There is a cave,* she offered.

He began to rock on his knees and keen.

*There is a cave,* she insisted, unsure of whether her thoughts had reached him. Rum'ni reached for him, and images shook her being. She pulled back swiftly, and flew over the water until the disruption vanished.

Although rattled, she had gained an answer. The mystic had a lover. She wondered if his mind had touched him across the many miles. *Wait for Sri'rin in the cave. He will find you there.*

"The cave, Sri'rin," the healer repeated.

Warmth crept through Rum'ni. *When I see him, I will send him to you. I promise.*

"Promises. Always promises," the white tiger muttered. He struggled to his feet, and stumbled toward an opening in the rock wall. He reached the entrance, and sat on the sand.

*You need fire!* Rum'ni advised.

"Taskmaster," the mystic grumbled. He reached for scraps of wood scattered about. From a leather pouch tied to his belt he produced a flint. It only took a few attempts before he had coaxed some flame from the drift wood.

With a satisfied grunt, the mystic finally entered the cave. He shed his clothing, and spread it near the fire to dry. He huddled against the wall to keep free of the wind. The mystic sighed wearily before collapsing.

Rum'ni entered the cave. The walls brightened weakly with the light cast by the flames. She curved her insubstantial form between the fire and the figure, channeling the heat, and feeding it with her desire to warm him. Keeping him alive until Sri'rin arrived would require another miracle.

*****

Night had driven out the grey day, and left brilliant stars glittering above the sea. The fire the mystic had made had almost burned itself out. The additional heat Rum'ni had also provided began to fade. She prayed to whatever god would listen, *Take from me what you desire, but save him.* It seemed the wind only blew colder. She wished she could reach into his dreams, and at least give him a pleasant passing into the Silence.

The rhythm of the sea changed. Rum'ni listened. It had grown quieter, and yet something replaced the movement of the tide. A drum? But from where? She dared not leave the cave.

Streams of light appeared on the beach, twisting into shapes that moved with the drumbeat. People of the ancient time coalesced from the brilliance. Sinda'am'ral'im! The offspring of the first ones, Rum'ni thought with amazement. Like her, they all appeared to be of the red tiger clan, but their tails, and other features, clearly marked them as being different. A male tiger wielding two rattles leapt and danced around the circle of chanters and drummers. The song grew stronger with each beat and step he took. Rattles aimed toward the ground, he raced around the circle changing the dance into a spiral of frenzy.

He flew! The shaman landed before those trapped in stone. He threw back his head and roared a word of power so great that Rum'ni feared the cave wall would crack. A red beam from the rattles struck the figures. Rum'ni's shriek of dismay became lost in the song and the fury. She tried to move, but found that she could not.

When the red light vanished, her daughter stood before the shaman. Mia bowed in respect. Within the span of a breath, the two appeared before her. Rum'ni reached for her daughter, but the blue light repelled her once more. *Best keep to the task at hand,* the shaman communicated sternly, pointing to the fallen mystic.

*Thank you for freeing my daughter,* Rum'ni replied, returning to her former position.

*She is in my care now,* he replied.

Mia watched her with wide amber eyes close to tears. *Fear not, my daughter, and be well. It is time for you to move across the River, and know peace.* Mia extended her hand, and faded into nothingness. The drums stopped, and the other figures fled with the shadows.

*All in Ni'tara's plan,* Rum'ni choked.

*For you, yes, but not for him,* the shaman answered, indicating the mystic. He gave another shout of power, and the fire renewed itself. It burned brightly without the benefit of wood.

*I am again in your debt,* Rum'ni remarked.

*If you will keep him warm and alive, as you have done, the fire will not fail. His mate will come.*

*A small sacrifice.*

The sky began to lighten. *Which god are you?* Rum'ni asked.

*A god?* The shaman dissolved with laughter and the dawn.