Chapter 6 Children of the Moon

Chapter 6

Children of the Moon

  With Kian gone it would have been easy for Kia to fall into a blue funk and never crawl out. Lucius and his wife Natty would have none of that. Natty an artisan as well as one of Wayferra elders took it upon herself to teach Kia how to weave pine straw surmising Kia was as gifted, as she was curious. That would go a long way in her emotional recovery.

  Strolling through the towering redwoods beams of sunlight spotlighted the winding straw-carpeted path that led Timmons’s brook. Kia was smiling. Natty took her hand in her fur fingered paw.

  “Now that’s a pretty sight.” Natty cooed.

  “What,” Kia replied looking down at her new friend and mentor.

 “Your sweet face brightened by your smile.”

  “Natty, thank you, you are so kind. The breeze, the shade and the golden beams, how can I not smile. Morning is my favorite part of the day.”

  “Mine too dear,” said Natty as she stopped and held up Kia left hand, inspecting her delicate fingers. “Yes, you’ll make a fine weaver; you’ve a weaver’s fingers.”

  “I hope so; I don’t to waste your time.”

 Natty grunted shaking her head, “what a silly thing to say, being with you teaching you our ways is not a waste of time.” She cocked her head, “hear that, singing water, there to the right.” She gently led Kia through a maze of towering tree trunks until the tinkling sound of crystal water tumbling and swirling over rocks filled the forest with heavenly music no instrument of man could ever match.

  “Timmons are you about?” Natty said leading Kia down gentle slope, “we’ve come a strawin’ what do you have for us, a bundle or more I hope. I’ve brought a friend.”

  Pointing to a large flat rock jutting out two feet over the bank of a narrow stream she made her way over to the rock sat down as Kia joined her.

  Suddenly a muffled thump from just behind them made Kia jump.

  “Sorry Miss,” She heard a gravely male voice, looking up to see the source of the apology.

  “You must be, oh my…” a bundle of tightly bound green pine straw fell to the ground, just before a ferret/human skittered down a nearby tree. “You are, my poor dear,” Timmons said, his beady black eyes watering as he proceeded to roll the first bundle of straw toward the women.

  Kia rose to get a better look at the five- foot tall spindly fur covered creature.

 ‘No miss, no, you needn’t rise for me. I heard what your husband did for us. Please sit and let me serve you. I’ve a nice soft mat up my nest; it’ll make that rock a lot more comfortable. But why are you out here sitting by the brook on a cold, cold rock. ”

  “Timmins’s must you make such a fuss.” Natty chided, “Busyness sooths the mind, don’t you agree?”

  Timmins seeing how sad Kia looked pushed the bundle up to her, “yes, yes of course, I’ll, I’ll get the other one.”

  “Please do,” said Natty as she snapped the vine that held the bundle tight, plucked several straws out and proceeded to weave a narrow cord in her nimble human like fingers, “Kia to learn you must watch.” She said noticing that Kia’s face turned away from her.

  Kia wiped her cheeks dry, smiled and turned and looked down at smooth thin cord Natty had already woven.

   Delighted she hunched up close to Natty eager to learn. The sun had nearly reached its zenith when several brook sprites fluttered from stream. Thorn and Nectar his mate hovered around Kia head humming and singing while the rest played tag with the sparkling water.

  It was not long after that a rattling sound came through the trees behind them. Roman a centaur baker pulling a wagon loaded with pine resin, fresh baked bread, jams, blackberry juice had heard an Elder, and her charge was working by the brook and thought it would be good to share mid- day meal with them.       

  He did not know the charge was Kia, only that Natty was teaching a young one her craft.

   Saddlebags full of food and drink gently slapped his flanks as he picked his way down the gentle slope having left his wagon on the path. “Good mid, my Elder,” he said as clumped down to them and saw the small female figure nestled by Natty.

  “Oh I did not know,” He said dropping to his knees by the rock and trying not to stare at Kia, “I heard you would be here today. Have you brought food? If not I have plenty to share?”

  Natty got up and nodded. Roman nodded back at her, “Thank you Roman, your bread as always smells wonderful.” He understood her wordless message.

 Roman could see the sadness in Kia’s eyes and wisely made no mention of Kian, their savior. She was a grieving widow, far too young for such a grievous burden. Discretion and bread would be his gift of consolation to her. If he had any words that would remove her pain, he would have gladly given them to hear but those words did not exist.   

  Love, compassion and gratitude surrounded Kia. Such was not the case for Kian…