Jeth Returns to His Master
This deserves a little explaining. This was from a story I started a long time ago about a world where night and day last three months at a time, and the day dwelling humans live in fear of the night, and the cat-like anthro's that rule it. It's the story of Jeth, a halfling barely tolorated by his human clan. He is captured as a slave for the cats during a raid and catches the eye of Lord Hist, but when the ruthless leader finds that he has fallen in love with his slave, and worse, that his slave loves him in return, he turns the boy out to fend for himself. This is their reunion. I know, spoiler, but this is all that survived of the story after my last computer crash, so, I am asking... Is it worth it for me to try to re-write it? Read and tell me what you think.
-Lilly
JETH RETURNS TO HIS MASTER (a sample)
Jeth lay on his stomach, enjoying the feel of the grass against his bare skin. He fingered the silver collar around his neck, and the single glittering link dangling from it. It was the only one left from the chain that had tethered him to his beloved master. He rolled over onto his back and lifted golden eyes to the blue sky, his pupils narrowing to adjust to the daylight.
"Lord Hist..." He murmured. A rustle in the woods snapped him back to reality and he stood slowly, pricking his tall white ears towards the sound. His thick mane of snowy hair fell down to his elbows and the thin boyish figure had been replaced by a lean and muscular physique. His tail swished irritably as he surveyed the brush. He heard nothing further, but still, with a last flick of his tail, he moved out of the sun and back into the shadows. His daydreaming could have proved fatal, he reminded himself as he walked. He was pretty sure he was the only cat who remained awake during the daylight months, and there were few predators that he had to worry about besides his own kind at any time, yet there still was the threat of the unknown.
He paused when he heard the sounds of humans laboring through the woods with their beasts. Heavy steps and the grunts of the animals told him they were moving slowly with a heavy load. With a mischievous smile he crept closer to investigate.
"Up there boys! Get along now! We need this lumber back at the compound before the suns set!" A strained man's voice rang out. Jeth angled his head towards the sky, noticing that the three suns had indeed begun to dip towards the distant mountains, and their pale sister moons had begun to rise. Nearly time for the three months of darkness. As he stepped up to the edge of the brush separating himself from the caravan, the beast's nostrils widened fearfully and they growled and whined deep in their throats as Jeth's scent reached them. Jeth saw the fear in their deep limpid eyes and felt his claws dig into the soft soil underfoot. His fangs ached and his mouth filled with saliva. But he stayed still. As hungry as he was. He didn't wish to harm the beasts, or their humans. As much as he had changed, he still wished his former people no ill will. He watched them pass by, the humans looking about fearfully and clutching their axes tightly.
Shadows lengthened beneath the trees and the horizon exploded with reds and purples as he made his way back towards the old home tree. The cats would be gathering. He wondered how they would react when they saw him again, grown up and independent. It had been almost six daylight summers and six moonlight nights since Lord Hist had forced him to leave his side, to discover himself out in the forest on his own. Hist had ordered him banished, fair game for any cat within his territory, and so with tears he had fled. Pursued by his former friends into the growing day. It was a memory that haunted him when he slept, his master's hardened features as he had taken his pleasure from Jeth's young flesh one last time, ruthelessly, flinging harsh words like blows. He wondered if he would not be driven away again....
It was very nearly dark when he reached the outer barrier of the home tree, and spoke the password that he remembered. He felt the forest change, shadows writhe and part for him as he walked forward fearlessly thru the passageway. Soon, he caught sight of the old monarch of the woods, its roots arching from the soil as if reaching for the bright moon. Jeth settled down a ways off from its broad base to await the wakening of his former clan.
As the suns faded into darkness, he saw as if in a dream the gleaming eyes of cats emerging from the tangled branches of their resting place. Their low growls and questioning yowls echoing in the still new night. Tentatively, he chirped out a greeting.
"Prrrrrrup?" Eyes turned towards him and shadows solidified as the cat's drew near.
"Who is there?" A voice called.
"It's only me... Jeth." Jeth murmured. The cats drew even closer. Clawed hands reached out and touched his hair, his ears, prodded his muscular arms. Faces drew near and sniffed his face and hands.
"It is him..." A voice whispered.
"Where is Lord Hist?" Jeth asked, looking from one face to another. They eyes turned back to the tree, expectantly... sadly. A slim gray cat growled in frustration.
"He stays in the tree and does not hunt. We bring him kills but he barely eats..." She sighed, and another cat took up the tale.
"We think that he regrets banishing you Jeth." The male orange tabby rumbled. "He waited for you to come back, and when you didn't he just stopped caring about anything." A hand touched Jeth's collar and he turned to see an old black cat regarding it.
"You still wear the band of a slave?" Jeth nodded.
"I am still my master's servant.... I miss him... Please... Bring me to him!" They nodded and chirped excited little calls as they padded on all fours back towards the tree. Jeth followed closely, enjoying the press and rub of a rainbow of different furs as the cats beside him jostled and urged him on. They came to the deep reassesses of the earth, far below the surface, where the last few branches of the monarch's root system cradled the last of the catacombs. A door, tightly shut and quiet stood there at the end of a corridor, and one by one the cats dropped off the group as they grew nearer until only three remained with him on the threshold. They waited for Jeth to make the first move, and there was a tense silence before he raised one hand to push open the door... Knocking suddenly felt absurd and wrong, Jeth reflected briefly before the dim interior of the room was revealed to him. Behind him the last three of his guides melted into the shadows, eyes downcast as they left.
"My Lord?" Jeth murmured, realizing that his voice and appearance hardly resembled the child of years ago. He pricked his ears at a rustle and stepped in to close the door behind him. There was a pile of disheveled and slightly ripe bedding in one corner where the rustle had originated, and he tentatively stepped closer. A voice, achingly familiar.... But full of torment, growled softly from the pile.
"Let me be.... Please... for sanity's sake! I wish to be left alone." Jeth felt the tears welling in his eyes as he worked his mouth, trying to form something to say... anything.
"But... By Lord... I cannot leave.... I've only just arrived. And... we have both been alone... for far too long as it is..." He whispered through his tears. He wondered if he had been heard at all, the silence was so complete. It was as if he were the only one in the room. But then another rustle sounded, and time started up again from its tense pause. Two golden eyes turned towards him from the deep shadows, haunted and disbelieving. Jeth felt his knees weaken and didn't fight to stand when he collapsed to his knees beside the nest of furs, his head bowed and his ears trembling with the effort not to wail like a kitten with the emotions ripping him apart inside. His magnificent Lord... reduced to hiding in this room, possibly all because of him. He felt a presence draw hesitantly closer and he quailed under the gaze he felt on the back of his neck.
"Is... Is this Jeth? Grown and come back?" A tremulous voice breathed near his shoulder, accompanied by a tentative touch to his long hair. Jeth could only manage to nod weakly and look up into the gaunt face of his master. No sooner had he confirmed his identity than he was swept up into a crushing hug, pressed close to a familiar form. He froze, shocked for a moment before melting as completely as possible against the insistent hug, snuggling his face joyously into the gray fur at the hollow of Hist's neck.
"Lord Hist.... I missed you so much." He murmured, his eyes closed as he drank in the scent and feel of the bigger cat. Hist's hands shook as he pushed them apart for a moment to look him over.
"You're even more beautiful than I remember, little one." He stroked his clawed hands over Jeth's face and he closed his eyes and leaned into the caress.
"I missed you... I know you banished me... but please... I had to come back." His voice quivered and he held his breath for fear of degenerating into sobs. But then arms wound around him tighter and those hands stroked his hair they way they had seasons ago.
"I was a fool, my darling... I was a fool..." Hist whispered, and the little resolve Jeth had dissolved.
He broke down and mewled, crying hot tears into his Master's fur.