Learning Curve
Jul. 28th, 2014 06:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kajelThe fat buck grazed quietly in the sparse patch of grass. The afternoon sun beat down upon its speckled hide; perfect for hiding in the deep shadows of a forest. The sand panther stalked the deer with slow patient steps. She carefully maneuvered herself closer to her prey. She was a magnificent specimen of the largest and most ferocious panther in the lands. Her tan hide blended well in the desert and grasslands that surrounded her. Fully grown she would stand nearly as tall as a small horse. Though she had not reached her full maturity, she was strong and quick. Inexperience had not hindered her at all with this deer. He seemed to be completely unaware of the predator stalking him through the broken, washed out landscape. The buck moved towards a rock formation on the edge of the cliff.
In a deadly rush the panther broke from cover. Terrified, the buck leaped upon the boulders. Too late he realized his mistake. The sand panther had the buck trapped at the edge of the cliff. Muscles bunching smoothly, the powerful panther sprang onto the boulders after the buck. In a desperate attempt to avoid the carnivore behind him, the buck leaped off the cliff. Startled, the panther looked after her disappearing prey. Suddenly, the boulders supporting the panther gave way and she was flung from the cliff. The young panther yowled in terror as she fell to her death.
At the base of the cliff thirty feet below, a woman of middle years stood nervously next to a young man. They watched as the buck jumped and the panther fell.
The woman gasped in fear as she watched the panther’s descent.
"Don't worry Canara. She’ll be fine. The air cradle will hold." The young man said. He was tall and lanky. He was at that awkward stage of life when he is neither a boy nor a man.
The panicked roar of the panther slowly changed to a high-pitched scream as the panther's form blurred. A teenage girl was left in its place. As the girl neared the ground, a cushion of air caught and cradled her. She was lowered gently to the ground at her mother's feet.
"Naya!" her mother cried. "Are you all right? Are you hurt at all?" Canara knelt down to gather her daughter into her arms.
Slowly Naya's terror turned to realization. She wasn't dead. Her mother was crying as she held Naya close.
"Oomph, Mom, I am fine. Loosen up. You're going to break my back." Laughing, Naya wriggled out of her mother’s grip and stood up.
"I'm not trying to break your back, but I may strangle you. It has been a week since you became a sand panther. Laron and I had to resort to dangerous measures to turn you."
Startled, Naya looked from her mother to Laron. He was grinning at her. "A week? Truly?"
"Yes, your mother had to actually rely on my wizardry this time. As a sand panther you were quite difficult to pin down. I think that was the best illusion I have ever done." He said proudly.
"Illusion?" Naya asked.
"The deer and the rocks on the edge of the cliff." Laron winked at her. “There was a wooden platform extending from the cliff. I created the illusion to hide it. I rigged it to collapse with your full weight.”
"I could smell the deer. It seemed so real."
"As I said, my best illusion ever." Laron crowed in delight. "It took me all week to work out the fine details."
Naya looked up at the cliff she had just stood upon. She shivered slightly when she realized how far she had fallen. She looked at her mother. Worry was clear upon her face.
"How did it become a week?" she asked.
"Of all the cats in the world to choose from you wanted to be a sand panther. What is there for a sand panther to fear? It has no natural predators. Even humans fear such a large fearsome creature. If I had known what you were doing, I would have talked you out of it. Laron told me your plans only after you had changed."
Naya cringed at the reproach in her mother voice. She had known what her mother would think of the sand panther. That was why she had not told her. As a young woman newly turned sixteen, Naya felt that her mother just worried overmuch. For the first time in her life, Naya understood and accepted the true danger she had put herself in. To lose her mind and herself was an overwhelming fear.
"Really, Naya, it took your mom and I three days just to make sure you didn't escape the training area. Then we had to figure out how to terrify a sand panther. Everything we tried just didn't work. You were too cunning. The cliff was really a last ditch effort." Laron explained.
"I am sorry mother. I just didn’t think this through."
"Yes. I think, maybe, I have not told you enough of our history. You are at a disadvantage not having grown up among the clan. You are not able to learn from other people’s mistakes besides your own. You’ve watched me your whole life, and it seemed so simple.” Canara sighed. “Why must it always be the biggest, the best with you? First the great Seraphi Eagle, now this. At least with the eagle I knew what you were doing. That is probably why you did not tell me this time. You thought I gave you such a hard time about the eagle. You just did not understand the danger involved. You are playing with forces you do not fully comprehend."
Canara watched as her daughter's joy of learning a new form slowly faded. Her face became somber. Canara watched as Naya’s understanding tempered her excitement. Her daughter was growing up. Naya would be a wise levelheaded woman someday who would know her own strengths and weakness very well. That was the legacy Canara would leave her.
***
Naya woke up slowly. The patch of shade she had found under a stunted oak a few hours ago had moved. Her paws were quite warm as they baked in the sun. It was mid-afternoon and the prairie was quiet around her. The dream that awakened her had been very vivid. She had not thought about that day when she was sixteen for quite some time. She had learned from the experience. Planning was the key. In the past ten years she had used that lesson wisely.
————————
This is my entry for LJ Idol: S9 Week 15. This week’s topic was “Chekhov's Gun”.
In a deadly rush the panther broke from cover. Terrified, the buck leaped upon the boulders. Too late he realized his mistake. The sand panther had the buck trapped at the edge of the cliff. Muscles bunching smoothly, the powerful panther sprang onto the boulders after the buck. In a desperate attempt to avoid the carnivore behind him, the buck leaped off the cliff. Startled, the panther looked after her disappearing prey. Suddenly, the boulders supporting the panther gave way and she was flung from the cliff. The young panther yowled in terror as she fell to her death.
At the base of the cliff thirty feet below, a woman of middle years stood nervously next to a young man. They watched as the buck jumped and the panther fell.
The woman gasped in fear as she watched the panther’s descent.
"Don't worry Canara. She’ll be fine. The air cradle will hold." The young man said. He was tall and lanky. He was at that awkward stage of life when he is neither a boy nor a man.
The panicked roar of the panther slowly changed to a high-pitched scream as the panther's form blurred. A teenage girl was left in its place. As the girl neared the ground, a cushion of air caught and cradled her. She was lowered gently to the ground at her mother's feet.
"Naya!" her mother cried. "Are you all right? Are you hurt at all?" Canara knelt down to gather her daughter into her arms.
Slowly Naya's terror turned to realization. She wasn't dead. Her mother was crying as she held Naya close.
"Oomph, Mom, I am fine. Loosen up. You're going to break my back." Laughing, Naya wriggled out of her mother’s grip and stood up.
"I'm not trying to break your back, but I may strangle you. It has been a week since you became a sand panther. Laron and I had to resort to dangerous measures to turn you."
Startled, Naya looked from her mother to Laron. He was grinning at her. "A week? Truly?"
"Yes, your mother had to actually rely on my wizardry this time. As a sand panther you were quite difficult to pin down. I think that was the best illusion I have ever done." He said proudly.
"Illusion?" Naya asked.
"The deer and the rocks on the edge of the cliff." Laron winked at her. “There was a wooden platform extending from the cliff. I created the illusion to hide it. I rigged it to collapse with your full weight.”
"I could smell the deer. It seemed so real."
"As I said, my best illusion ever." Laron crowed in delight. "It took me all week to work out the fine details."
Naya looked up at the cliff she had just stood upon. She shivered slightly when she realized how far she had fallen. She looked at her mother. Worry was clear upon her face.
"How did it become a week?" she asked.
"Of all the cats in the world to choose from you wanted to be a sand panther. What is there for a sand panther to fear? It has no natural predators. Even humans fear such a large fearsome creature. If I had known what you were doing, I would have talked you out of it. Laron told me your plans only after you had changed."
Naya cringed at the reproach in her mother voice. She had known what her mother would think of the sand panther. That was why she had not told her. As a young woman newly turned sixteen, Naya felt that her mother just worried overmuch. For the first time in her life, Naya understood and accepted the true danger she had put herself in. To lose her mind and herself was an overwhelming fear.
"Really, Naya, it took your mom and I three days just to make sure you didn't escape the training area. Then we had to figure out how to terrify a sand panther. Everything we tried just didn't work. You were too cunning. The cliff was really a last ditch effort." Laron explained.
"I am sorry mother. I just didn’t think this through."
"Yes. I think, maybe, I have not told you enough of our history. You are at a disadvantage not having grown up among the clan. You are not able to learn from other people’s mistakes besides your own. You’ve watched me your whole life, and it seemed so simple.” Canara sighed. “Why must it always be the biggest, the best with you? First the great Seraphi Eagle, now this. At least with the eagle I knew what you were doing. That is probably why you did not tell me this time. You thought I gave you such a hard time about the eagle. You just did not understand the danger involved. You are playing with forces you do not fully comprehend."
Canara watched as her daughter's joy of learning a new form slowly faded. Her face became somber. Canara watched as Naya’s understanding tempered her excitement. Her daughter was growing up. Naya would be a wise levelheaded woman someday who would know her own strengths and weakness very well. That was the legacy Canara would leave her.
***
Naya woke up slowly. The patch of shade she had found under a stunted oak a few hours ago had moved. Her paws were quite warm as they baked in the sun. It was mid-afternoon and the prairie was quiet around her. The dream that awakened her had been very vivid. She had not thought about that day when she was sixteen for quite some time. She had learned from the experience. Planning was the key. In the past ten years she had used that lesson wisely.
————————
This is my entry for LJ Idol: S9 Week 15. This week’s topic was “Chekhov's Gun”.
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Date: 2014-07-30 05:22 am (UTC)Shapeshifters and wizards, and the clan Naya didn't grow up with.
My head is screaming for more
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