| Subject: childhood games |
Author:
Cassiel
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Date Posted: 05:24:23 08/31/05 Wed
In reply to:
Azrael/Damian/Monet
's message, "The Face Of Hatred" on 09:51:10 07/21/05 Thu
Cassiel closed her eyes, trying to think and to fight off the fog of panic closing in on her mind. And in her struggle, it seemed to her that the ghost of a smell reached her Silent Paw nose - wet pine needles. In an instant the memory overwhelmed her.
The sap is sticky on my fingers, but I don't dare let go. I am cradled fifteen feet up in the branches of a sturdy young pine, and it is raining in the forest, a light spring rain that makes all the trees smell so pretty. Especially the pines. That's why I have chosen this tree as my hiding place - I can smell it while I'm watching and waiting.
This is our game, The Hunt, and I am Scout and I am waiting. And there he is - creeping silent as a shadow through the wet leaves, Gabriel, playing Chief, looking carefully around with every step. He's looking for me, because I know where the Villagers are hiding. I give my special whistle, the one I learned from the little yellow birds, and he looks up smiling. He opens his mouth to speak, but then we hear the yelling. It's too late - the Hunter has found the Villagers!
I scramble down from the tree and run toward Gabriel, but he waves me away. "The boys," he says. "You draw the Hunter away, Scout, that's your job, and I'll protect the boys. Mike can help Raz, but Jeff is too proud, he doesn't know what he's doing, he'll need me. And you're smarter than the Hunter, anyway." And for an instant he lets the game slip away and smiles the smile of a big brother and I love him so much in that moment. Then he is gone, running silent through the trees like a wolf, and I run too, toward the shouts of Azrael, the Hunter. He always plays the Hunter, it's his favorite.
And I must do my job, like Gabe says. I am the Scout, and the Scout is smarter than the Hunter, and I can do this....
She opened her eyes, fierce yellow eyes, and met the golden gaze of the tiger. The memory was thick upon her like a blanket, and she knew what she had to do - because now she knew what Gabriel would choose.
And so Cassiel looked up coolly at her brother-captor and sat down deliberately. She would have to trust in Gabriel to protect Jeff, and Michael to help Raziel; she dared not reach out for any of them and as though to prove it, she closed her mind. Azrael smiled. "You would leave our sweet sister to die, then?"
Cassiel, clothed in the skin of a Silent Paw, smiled right back. You draw the Hunter away, Scout. "I have made my choice, that's all," she said. "Tell me, brother, why should I ever return to you once I have left? You say I am tied to you, but what I carry is not yours. I think you're trying to frighten me."
She was baiting him and he knew it, of course, but it was his favorite sort of bait - the opportunity to gloat. Time, Cassiel prayed silently, watching the arrogant smirk spread over Azrael's face. Just a little time, that's all. Give me time.
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