Meditation Sky

I should have asked for a hill, Tygra decided. The architect walked quietly behind his companions as he contemplated the city he had designed. It was true that he could use the Feliner to view it from above, or scale the cliff walls near the Lair, but that required effort. It would have been nice for the traveler to have approached his masterwork from a hill to behold its splendor. He caught glimpses of the sky through the trees. The basic problem was that the city was on a plain. And I am greedy and proud? he wondered. Still the thought snaked through his mind: Could the new Guardian do such a thing? He shook his head and grunted. Best to leave that one alone. Dangerous, very dangerous, and her origin a mystery. He glanced at the tall figure of Tir'shan. He will tell us one day of his time in the Garden, and what it...produced. Surely the tall mystic was the key.

Tir'shan suddenly veered off the path, and sat beneath a tree. Something was clearly wrong. The return trip was taking longer because the mystic tired easily. The gregarious white tiger had grown solemn and silent. Tygra wanted to engage him in conversation, but his mate Talitha discouraged him. And rightly so, he decided, for the two had never been on easy terms with each other. According to mystic law, healing was requested not inflicted, so if Tir'shan needed help, he could ask for it. But he is the most powerful among us, Tygra decided. He could heal himself far better than we ever could. A ripple of annoyance crossed his special bond with Talitha.

She had held a secret since before they entered the Garden of Ayasha. It was difficult for him to keep silent, but he sensed that she appreciated his trust. Nothing to be done except to get firewood. He signaled to Willa his intent, and walked deeper into the woods. Falling into their trail routine, Talitha and her mother would ready camp as the warrior woman kept guard. Tir'shan would rest against the tree, occasionally dozing. Tygra sighed. He was ready to be home in his cozy cottage with his mate, his flowers and some measure of peace. Even at their slower pace, they would arrive home in time for the solstice celebration. But the unexpected seemed to hover nearby. Something is near, that is certain, the architect decided.

He found a nice long branch on the ground, and bent to retrieve it. Something grabbed his buttocks. He swung around with the branch, and was shocked at the speed his mate displayed when in fear of losing her head.

"Easy!" she exclaimed in surprise.

"What of camp!" Tygra growled, glad that he did not soil himself thinking what could have happened to the female he loved had his aim been true.

"I thought a change was in order, and decided to help you, but if you don't want my--"

Tygra pulled her toward him. She had started it. "Some help," he purred into her ear, but she was not listening. Her hands were busy working the lacings on his trousers. He pulled the cord belt that held her robe together. The fire would start earlier than expected this evening.

It burned hot and quick. Like fallen ash, they lay quietly together after their roars died. The temptation to drift off to sleep was great, but Talitha startled him by whispering into his ear, "Forgive me."

"For what?" he asked, hoping his voice sounded innocent.

"Pictures are easier than words. Relax, and let me show you." She placed her fingers along his temple. She took a deep breath, and let the story she had to tell unfold in his mind, a startling technique.

"Foolish female!" Tygra snarled, immediately regretting the words as soon as they left his lips.

The damage was done. His mate, wide-eyed, pulled away. "It is time to tend the fire," she said.

He was not going to permit her departure. He reached for her, but instead found himself flying head over heels. What other tricks had she learned in the Garden! he thought, astonished. "Forgive me, little one," he managed to choke while finding his breath.

She offered him her hand. The vision had shown her defeating Mumm-Ra. She was a true tiger lord's mate in her courage and skill. He studied her white fingers. In her attempt to heal the mummy, they had radiated with purple not blue light. He allowed her to help him to his feet. Now he knew her fear. She was no longer a simple mystic, but mature in her power: a priestess. And that meant service in a Circle.

"Perhaps it won't be Tir'shan's. Cori is also a ri'sar'ri and female."

There would be no objection on his part if the council, of which Tir'shan was a part, decided her place to serve was with his group. Obedience was part of the mystic code. She would have to do her part, and take excess power from the giant through joining. But he, Tygra, would be in the equation anyway through their special bond. Maybe this was the unexpected thing he truly feared.

He tried to sound supportive, but it rang hollow, "We will walk this road together, little one, and either find a solution, or accept what we must accept."

She placed her hand against his face. "Wise words, elder," she said, her uncertainty threading each letter. She tugged at the sleeves of her robe, a nervous gesture.

Tygra linked his arm to hers. "Let's return to camp, and hope we did not make too much noise."

Talitha giggled, and the effervescence of her laugh carried away his doubts. "Willa and my mother knew my plan, and Tir'shan probably slept through it all." She pointed to the sticks of wood. "Best we take these, so our excuse for some privacy is not in vain."

Tygra retrieved the bundle. "I was performing my task very well, until you distracted me." She made a face at him, then ran ahead. "No respect for rank or age," he huffed as he followed.

The scene at camp surprised them both. Sum'ri'san knelt by Tir'shan, who shivered, and mumbled.

"Thank the gods, you have returned," the weaver said. "He has experienced a seizure of some type."

Talitha knelt by her mother. She gently stroked Tir'shan's face, and spoke softly to him. A little cry escaped his lips, then his body shook.

Talitha approached her mate. "He won't permit me to help. He's afraid of something."

Tygra sighed. "If he will not permit you to heal him, surely he will reject me."

Talitha dug into her satchel, and pulled out a small cloth bag. "Get a pot of hot water ready, dear one."

Tygra pulled her toward the edge of camp "You wouldn't. He hasn't given permission."

"You have still not become familiar with all our ways," she snarled, as if he were some cub who was dense beyond measure.

An eerie whisper followed the tree line. "He would permit me."

Willa bounded toward the sound, while Sum'ri'san stayed close to the fallen mystic.

A dark shape emerged from the wood. "Ayasha!" Talitha gasped.

The tall, black woman stepped into the clearing. "I am responsible for his affliction."

"It has to do with the new Guardian, doesn't it," Tygra responded quickly.

Ayasha nodded. She knelt by the mystic, and whispered in his ear. He quickly clasped her hand as if holding on to his own life. She whispered again, and he released her. Ayasha stood, and ordered, "You must all step back. You must, above all things, not interfere, or you could cause our deaths."

Tygra and his companions did as commanded, but the warrior woman went further, and disappeared into the forest to guard the outer perimeter of the camp.

"Very good," Ayasha decreed. She cried out in a language replete with tongue clicks and whistles. She rolled up the left leg of her trousers. A curved knife was bound to her limb with leather.

Talitha took a step forward. Both her mother and her mate restrained her.

"Whatever will be," Tygra said.

"The gods have decreed," the cool and angular Sum'ri'san answered.

It happened so fast, all three Thunderans froze in place. The woman plunged the blade into her chest. With a roar Tir'shan vaulted forward. With no regard for the additional damage he could cause, he yanked the blade free with a display of strength.

That Ayasha remained conscious amazed Tygra. Tir'shan cradled the woman, and put one hand to her wound. Violet light poured from his fingers. The mystic's body trembled. The light shifted to silver, then gold. In what seemed but an instant, the light became a pure, hot white. Then came the colors for which there were no words.

Tir'shan gave a great shout. It was Ayasha's turn to support him as she lowered him to the ground.

The mystic was not dead. The even rise and fall of his chest suggested he merely slept. And Ayasha.... Only her clothing was ruined, not her body.

"What has happened here!" The exclamation came from the normally calm Talitha. Her hands trembled as she pulled at them nervously.

Ayasha smiled. "Something unexpected." The black woman stood. "He has become a Circle of One."

"And how is that!" Tygra demanded.

"You should ask Tir'shan," she answered. "But let him rest for now. He will awaken in the morning."

She raised her hand, and sang a note like a sigh. A blue sphere appeared above Tygra's head. She eyed him seriously. "My daughter attached this to you. Its meaning will soon become clear."

"Does she care not for the rights of others?" he asked in annoyance. The sphere floated down and rested lightly above his palms.

Ayasha seated herself on a stone. "She is young in her power."

"But that is no excuse," said Sum'ri'san.

"As a mother, you know this to be true," agreed Ayasha.

"Is that why you are here?" asked Talitha.

Ayasha nodded. "For awhile, my path and yours will join. It is my responsibility to contend with the... unforseen."

"Starting with Tir'shan and this sphere," said Tygra. The blue orb suddenly vanished. "Where did it go?"

"It will reappear when needed," Ayasha explained. "It is bound to you for but a short time." The woman placed her hands over her heart, and spoke softly. Her clothing became new. "I thought all the power had left, but some remains," she remarked.

"You have served long and well, Ayasha! We rejoice to have your company." The warrior woman had returned to the camp. "I think it is time to start our fire."

"Some hot food would be welcomed," remarked Talitha's mother.

Willa's strong words may have eased the doubts of some, but Tygra remained wary. He watched Ayasha as intently as she watched him. Not for the last time did he wonder what she and Tir'shan had unloosed upon the world.