Chapter 1-Memories
Drowning-Chapter one There are a lot of things in life that seem to be taken for granted. One may miss having a certain thing with them such as a favorite CD, shirt, or even a coin of all things, but we tend to forget who might have given us these possessions. Any item can be replaced with a single trip to the store, but I highly doubt that a family is as easy to find.
- * * It seems everyone has a history to tell, whether it be good or bad. Mine, well it happens to be more on the bad side. My life started to unfold for me in many ways that I never expected, but despite the tragedies that plagued me, it helped prepare me for a world that wasn't so kind to homeless children. My name is Shiyana Sentai Kurou, and I am going to share my life with you. I say my life because when I think of story, I think of added on untruths that try to enhance what really happened. I guess that the best place to start from then is the beginning. I wish I could say that I grew up where I was born, but instead I will have to say I used to live in the district of Krechia. Inside this district are several very small villages and towns. The village my family and I resided in was called Juro. Most furs lived simple lives, nothing too impressive. Just having food on the table for their families, clothes on their backs and a roof over their heads was enough to keep them satisfied. Our village was somewhat of a melting pot, in which there were several different species of furs living in the area. As small of a village it was, I could never forget the variety it held. Many of the furs residing in my village were very proud of their heritage, meaning that there were no interspecies mating. Many believed that it would soil the bloodline that has been perfected over hundreds of years. A fox belonged with a fox, horse with a horse, and so on. My family was no exception to this rule. I remember my father always telling me to meet a nice young male lion to ensure our history. Unfortunately, there weren't many white lions in our area, so I was skeptical. I was also only six years old, so I didn't really understand what he meant most of the time. My father was a very respectable Lion. His name was Juko kurou, and he was one of the most admired furs in our village. My father had worked his keep several years ago as a strong warrior, so he decided to raise us further away from the busy lifestyle of the villagers. They all respected his decision, because it was him who saved many of the past villagers lives from raids. I looked up to him for everything, and I still do to this day. All of the advice and knowledge that he shared with me helped me become the lioness I am today. I enjoyed the quiet cottage we lived in deep in the forest. It is interesting that I can remember everything about that little house. I was born there after all, so every nook and cranny holds some importance to me. I remember how my mother always was in our kitchen cooking for us, how it was right next to our small living room. My brother and myself shared a bedroom next to our parents, though it was rather small. My mother Shiya always got after us for staying up late and jumping on the bed, or trying to play hide and seek. I always loved rushing under the covers just as I would hear the creak of the wooden door open. My mother was usually very easy going. She never really raised her voice to us, and if she did I don't remember it. I like to think of her when I smell fresh daisies in the spring time, because she always would have a vase with fresh wild flowers. A smile was always on her face, and she was the most wonderful woman. I couldn't have asked for anyone better to raise my brother and I. My brother Cobalt was almost a mirror of my father except for his color. While my mother, father and I were white in color, my brother was a deep slate grey. I always thought it made him look more impressive. His name isn't as authentic as ours, but they named him Cobalt because of the deep pools of blue that were his eyes. They stood out so much and made his face shine. I think out of all of my family members, my brother and I shared the deepest relationship. We were always together, and Cobalt was always so protective of me. Being five years older than me, I guess he felt that it was his job. I couldn't even walk down to the nearby stream without him being on my heels telling me to be careful. He always held my paw in his own, and I felt so safe around him. I think the best time that we spent together was when he and I went down to a meadow and just lay in the tall grass and wild flowers. We stared up at the clouds and didn't say a word. We really didn't have to, because we knew that we were just there to enjoy ourselves. Cobalt was very stoic, and he had a very serious side to him despite his silliness. I think I was the only one he shared it with actually. When he would have to run an errand into the village for my mother to get some groceries or a pickup, he would always walk so proudly. I admired him for who he was, for my brother wanted to follow in my father footsteps. After seeing all of my fathers medals and achievements, he decided at once that he wanted to be a warrior. Cobalt wasn't old enough to carry around a real sword, so he had to settle for a small wooden one. He thought it made him look tough, and sometimes the other villagers would play along, looking scared of him, but most just bowed to him in respect. There weren't just my family members that I remembered. A village with so many interesting furs, it was impossible not to keep their faces in my head. The only time I went into town was when I went on an errand with Cobalt, and even then I was still kind of nervous to go. Being around so many adults I didn't really know just unsettled me for some reason, but over time I would get used to them, and even call a few my friends. One particular fur, a husky named Kona was always happy to see me. He ran a small flower stand towards the middle of the village, selling all the fresh flowers that grew in fields surrounding the forest in which we lived. He was rather old, I assume now the age of seventy. Every time my brother would walk me by his stand, Kona would put a small flower behind my ear. That's what he would call me too. He smiled to me so warmly, and I will never forget it. He also had a distinct smell of spice on his clothes. His cane was never too far from him, because he would need it for the small kink in his step. He wore simple clothes, a pair of brown baggy pants, and a long sleeve green sweater. It didn't matter how hot it was, he always would wear that sweater. Just thinking about him puts a smile on my face. My village didn't have a lot of children other than myself and Cobalt. Most others that were there were just babies, so I didn't really have any other girls my age to play with. I always remember tagging along with my brother when he would go play with the local boys. There were only two others, and they were Mika the fox, and Tontin the Hawk. Tontin was more of a chicken than a hawk. We always used to laugh because he always thought he would see something in the bushes and run off to the other end of the field we played in. They didn't like it much that I was always there, because I didn't like to play rough. Cobalt never got angry at me though, and he would always without thinking about it slow down at my request. Mostly they would just play with their wooden swords as if they were in a war. Most days like this I would like to sit and watch, but sometimes I would play the "damsel in distress" if you will. When I think about it, this was the very last game that we played before that fateful day. The last night with my family, I will never forget it. My brother and I were out playing in the field like usual. Tontin and Mika weren't with us, because their families had called them into dinner. Cobalt had looked unusually distracted that evening. When I would talk to him he would just look up into the clouds and nod his head. It's almost as if he knew something was going to happen. The cool grass felt so good along my back, and I remember lifting my paw to admire a bracelet my mother had just given me. "Guard it with everything you have Shiyana, if you protect it and love it then it will do the same for you." She told me. As I was going over those words in my head, I decided to speak up to my brother, just to try and grab his attention. "Cobalt...will you be with me forever?" I asked as I turned to look at him. Cobalt just kept on staring at those darkening clouds. Evening was setting in, and the stars were appearing in the clear night sky. They helped illuminate our surroundings and the grass around us. Finally after several minutes Cobalt turned to look at me. "Why do you ask Shiyana. I am with you every minute of the day, what makes you think that would ever change?" He replied with a cool, almost wispy tone to his voice. He looked at me with those deep blue eyes that I will never forget, almost as if he were burning right through me. I smiled to him and shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I am just scared of being alone." I didn't know what else to say to him other than that. It was then that he smiled so warmly to me and nodded, placing his dark grey paw onto my smaller shoulder. He just held it there and turned to look back at the sky. I smiled to him and flicked my tail and did the same, my eyes soon closing to just relax. I felt the wind brush and blow against my fur, feeling so happy to be with my brother at this time. After several moments of just laying in silence, I heard the ring of my mother's voice from my little house. Quickly I jumped up and looked to the east, and started run as fast as I could. My brother must have gotten the idea, because as I felt the win whipping through me, I heard his foot paws smashing the grass behind us. We soon were caught up with each other, but because I was smaller I started to slow down first. Cobalt stopped and lifted me onto his shoulders. My smaller arms wrapped around his neck and he started running again. I remember laughing and smiling, begging him to slow down but not really meaning it. I felt the cool air bat at my ears and muzzle, the glint of my bracelet catching my eye. We saw the house in the distance and my brother lifted me off his shoulders and onto the ground. I ran up to the house and hugged my mother around her legs. She smiled at me and patted my head, ushering me into the house. "You have kept good care of this bracelet right darling?" She asked me as she closed the door behind Cobalt and I. I ran up to the single step before the living room, and jumped onto it, giggling softly. "I did momma! I am going to put it away safe in my box before bed tonight!" I nodded and smiled more, flopping onto my belly to start playing with some dolls. Cobalt shook his head and yawned, moving back towards our bedroom. I don't know why he was so tired or distant, but I assumed that he was just being himself. My father was out that evening with some of the other males talking and catching up. It makes me sad to think sometimes that morning was the last I ever saw of him. My mother came and sat in the room beside me, picking up a small cookbook. She sighed to herself in her light green sleeveless shirt and brown pants, a bag attached to her belt buckle in which she stored some special recipes and potions she cooked up. After a few minutes of the enjoyable silence Cobalt came into the room with a quizzical look on his face. "Do you hear those sounds out in the forest mother?" to be continued