Tigris: Saski

Tales of the Red Rock Pride

The Tale of the Dreamer

Saski

As the sun rose higher in the sky, Ibbiso rose and moved into the shade of a big thorny tree with Mirza following slowly behind. When they were comfortably, settled in place he continued the telling of his tale:

Saski was the name of the young leoness who had become Nephriti's wet nurse. She soon was doing all types of tasks around the big house, which freed Lajia, Lemia and Malima to hear and act on more of the Pride business.

Besides keeping the house clean and caring for the cubs, Saski set up her weaving loom in a sunny corner of the kitchen and when the cubs napped would work on the weaving of new blankets for all the sleeping alcoves. She was also busy in the yard outside: in a shady area beside the house she built a sturdy lean-to and fenced off a small area. Then she brought over both hens and a cock of the Squawker birds. She had bags full of seeds from the grasses that grew abundantly wild everywhere, which were fed to the birds. Some of the seeds she planted in a sunny area she prepared by digging the soil. All this activity was at first a mystery to the rest of the household; but as they ate fresh eggs in the mornings and had Squawker meat when there was no other meat to be gotten, then Lajia, Lemia and Malima saw the wisdom of what Saski was doing.

Lemia as the eldest of the Pride's three Elders, called a General Meeting of the Pride and showed what Saski was doing with the Squawkers and the grass seeds. They told how they always had something to eat even on days when the hunters returned with nothing. There was a lot of excited talk at first. Then everyone wanted to know how Saski kept from running out of Squawkers. She told them how she saved most of the eggs for the Squawker hens to brood and hatch out into new Squawkers. When the new chicks were old enough, some were kept as new brooders and others went for the family's evening meal. So everyone went home to think over and discuss this new knowledge and soon almost every household had its Squawker yard and seed garden.

The three cubs grew and Saski's two were named Bjimi and Bjoma; the little female being Bjimi and the male being Bjoma. Very slowly all three cubs learned to control their Helpers. Nephriti was especially adept at using her helper and was soon helping Saski with the household chores. She loved to dust and oil the few pieces of beautifully carved furniture that had come from the far away lands of the Tygers. As she dusted and polished, she studied every bit of carving closely, running a gentle paw over the leaves of a vine twining up a leg, or following the swirls of a flower, the shape of a flying bird and she knew that she wanted to create such lovely things herself.

When Bjimi and Bjoma came upon her as she sat with her vials of oils and her Helper holding the dusting and rubbing cloths with the dreamy look on her face, they would tease her and call her a useless dreamer. Nephriti did not care and kept dreaming her dreams. She dreamed of visiting the cool forests of the Tygers and of coming face to face with one of the Tyger Lords or Ladies.

At six months the cubs were weaned onto solid food and were learning to talk using the simplified Young One's Language. It was at this time that Lemia began to prepare them for the ceremony of dedication and introduction which would be held for all the new cubs born into the Pride in that year on the day of the High Risen Bright Sun…

Ibbiso, the Teller of Tales, fell silent and rose slowly to his feet. "I'm getting old," he said, "And am in need of some nourishment about now. Shall we go to the Market to see what we can find for our meal?"

Mirza nodded and followed him across the Square into the Market where they both bought Squawkers, which were prepared for them and eaten slowly with relish. After instead of returning to their place in the Square, Ibbiso took them on a meandering walk through the narrow streets of Old Red Rock City. He stopped at a small nondescript house. "This is where she spent her youth." he murmured. Mirza touched the wall with her front paw. Then they walked back to the Red Rock Square and Ibbiso continued his Tale of the Dreamer…

Saski spent the weeks before the Day of Dedication weaving decorative harnesses for the cubs to wear, and for herself, Lajia, Lemia and Malima she made leg bands and neckbands.

ID: 765891   (Rated: 13+) Tigris: Visions  the Dreamer sees visions by Petronella60 -on hiatus