The Books of the Shadows III- Silver Tiger

16

Dinner with Silver's family was not bad, Senere thought. They were warm people and love was evident in everyone's words and gestures; they were like a united family and they seemed there for each other. As she thought it should be a real family. Senere was saddened, and this was immediately seen on her face which usually radiated happiness. 

-I am envious that you look like a family as I thought it should be a family in my dreams. I did not think there was real so far, until I have met you. 

Even after all the interrogatory, she did not feel unwanted, at all. She felt their curiosity did not hurt her, they just tried to find some light into the information they had so far about her world. And she could not blame them, from what she had found out so far,  her people were trespassing from time to time and they were engaging in attacking them every time so, they were treated as enemies. And that felt right. 

The royal family surprised her in a good way. The first born was Silver, that she already met, and she found out that Moon had a twin brother, sent to the southern border where his fortress was upgrading its defense. Then came Alane, who was actually the oldest of them, but he was a light human, and he was not present there at that time, and that she could not understand and she was embarrassed to ask about and nobody explained any further. Alane was the Crown Prince of the north, that much she understood. He was to rule over the light people in the north, while Silver was to rule over the shadows all over the shadow kingdom. But that would mean the king was already ruling over the light people too, and that was a little confusing for her. But she had enough time to learn things if she was to live here from now on. 

After Moon, there was another prince at about 13 years old, and he was also with his older brother in the southern border fortress, so Senere did not get the chance to meet him yet.

Then came another set of twins, boy and girl, and they were 11 years old. They were the ones always smiling at each other when the grown-ups were speaking and they were listening politely and never interrupted any of them. They were both looking alike, with long, bluish-black hair like their father's and deep blue eyes, just as their mother's, and they even wore clothes alike, and there was no way Senere could differentiate them from each other. But they all laughed when they told her that neither can the guards, and they would always play tricks on the poor royal guards, running away and hiding. 

Then another princess was next, and she was 8 years old, but just as tall as the twins, and she almost looked like she was part of the twins set, only that she wore different clothes, so she would not look like them. She was making up a common front with them both, and they have gladly received her in their ranks, and they seemed very attached and very close to each other. 

Then there was another prince, of 5 years old and he was the funniest of them all, because he wanted to be a better warrior than his brother Silver, so he was showing off, insight his bow, made out of maple wood and even his shirt was the same maple color. He liked to match and even the handles of his daggers were carved from maple. 

And then, there was the one baby on the way. The king was already showing the belly and it seemed to be pretty big. They said she was expecting in about two months' time for the newborn to meet his family. They were all so excited to become big brothers. 

Senere was attentive all the time, trying to get to know the family. She could see the strong connection between the king and the Lord Commander, and their relationship did not seem to be that between a king and a subject, nor the one she had seen between her father and her stepmother. It was more than a relationship, or what she knew about a relationship, there was a friendship and a union above just a man and a woman, a husband and a wife. She saw all the little gestures between them, all that touching hands and putting the food in her plate, caressing her back or his shoulder, or his arm, touching her hair... all the fast sneaking smiles and all those little gestures of kindness and love. That was a genuine love they all were sharing.

Life was really different here, as was the perspective on how family life was looking like in her world. Thinking back, about her life in that other world, she did not want it anymore. What she really wanted and what she will start to fight for, was right here, in front of her. In this world. Here, she can make a life and yes, she decided to fight for it, no matter against whom. Not even her brother whom she loved dearly, not even him could make her change her mind and take her by force, imprisoning her in that cage, never again.

Silver was pretty much quiet during the dinner. His younger brothers already surpassed him in jokes and openness and were so nice that he made a special note, separately, as a monument of seriousness, in the family. Just like his mother. On the other hand, Moon never missed an opportunity to use his voice. Senere was simply amazed, because Moon not only gave her opinion on almost anything, but she seemed to know so many things about this world, things she never thought to ask!

This whole family, even if it wasn't her family, seemed to make a small place for her and they offered her dinner all night, and she didn't make it at all, never to feel outside.

Blue eyes shining in the darkness... or they shone because everything shone around and made those cold as ice eyes stand out. Long, strong claws that shone in the sunlight that blinded him ... and pain ... "Silver!" the young Silver Tiger heard his mother and he felt from the top of his head to the corner of his eye like a burn and everything went dark.

Silver woke up panting and a cold sweat on his forehead and chest brought him back to his senses. He realized that he was in his bed in his room in Shiran Fortress, the capital of the shadow kingdom. It was one of those nights... hard for him, a night when memories didn't give him peace. He raised his right hand and ran his fingertips over the claw-shaped scars, which stretched from the eyebrow to the temple to the ear. 

He got out of bed and poured himself a glass of water from which he drank only a few mouthfuls, then angrily threw it against the wall, tearing the glass to pieces.

The door opened and she, his mother, appeared in the doorway. Iris Warchild was dressed in a long shirt and had long, loose black hair, a sight he had not seen it too often in his life. It was the custom for married women to have their hair braided, and his mother honored his father in such a way that not even he, their son, or any of their brothers had seen their mother untied in front of others.

-Silver! His mother held out her hands to him.

-I'm fine, he turned to her.

She hugged him and stroked his back, resting her head on his shoulder. In the moonlight, one could see her scar, also on the right side of her face.  It was a single line mark above the eye, her father made a deep long cut starting from her eyebrow and went to the temple, over the ears, getting lost in her hair. She didn't like the way people looked at her, either, but her husband - their father, always supported her, and it was as if she didn't care how people looked at her, while he still couldn't get over it. 

His mother's scar had been stabbed by her father with a dagger, trying to kill her in the great challenge to the throne. His mother had won the challenge, and in the end, she managed to kill him, and his father saved his mother's life. That's how they met.

 It was as if her scar defined her, instead, his scar seemed...  to make him look like a monster.

-Don't do that, she said, taking his face in her hands and looking at him lovingly. That's what I did until I realized that you only need one person... one, to show you the way. Like your father showed me... because I felt it just like you do and I did not want to braid my hair, in order to cover it, so people don't see it as I felt it.

-Look at me, mom!

-I am, Silver. And I know what I see. But more important is, what do you see? How do you want people to see you?

-Not like this!

-Why not? There is no shame in a fight, my prince!

-There was no fight, mom.

-You were five, Silver, and you survived! That was the first fight of your life, and you won. You are alive!

-I was almost dead for days, mom...

-And look at you now! And look at the beast there, Silver! 

His mother pointed with her hand a white, great fur lying on the floor in front of his bed, the fur of a white tiger. It must have been a great beast because it was beautiful. 

He did not want to look where his mother pointed and she turned his head with her hand:

-Look!! You are alive and it is not! Learn from that and celebrate life, not the soul of the dead beast! It did not take you with it so don't try to go search for it there. Please! 

She leaned her head towards his head and she bumped her forehead on his, looking into his eyes. 

-I know mom, I am just... so angry most of the time.

-I know, I can feel that, Silver. We should go hunting tomorrow and then we can go for a ride?

-Yeah, I think I need that.

-I can feel your saruman demon restless inside you, tell me, she said sitting on his bed and touching it with her palm, signaling to him to sit close to her.

Silver sat near her and sighted.

-I think he is angry too. I am not sure why, he is just... makes me feel so angry and I have this feeling I could just kill everyone only for... for nothing... just for the kill...

-Is he making you feel hungrier?

-Yes... and my gums hurt I think...

-They do? his mother smiles and he noticed it.

-What? 

Silver looked in the direction he thought his mother was looking, but there was no one there. She was smiling at him as if she knew something he did not. She knew something about his condition, something that was happening to him.

She continued smiling and his father touched the door, a little groggy from the sleep he apparently just woke up from. 

-Hey, he came to sit with the two of them. What is it?

-I think our son's demon is trying to speak to him.

-It does? 

Silver wondered what did she mean and why his father looked awake out of a sudden. As if they were sharing some information he did not know about.

-What is happening to me?

-Well, tell me how do you feel? His father asked him. Well, he was the saruman demons expert so...

-My gums hurt and I am angry all the time... 

-He eats a lot lately... he chews a lot... his mother was smiling again... 

-Ooohh... his father rose his eyebrows pressing his lips together as if analyzing the new data his mother was providing... let me see... 

-Ouch! Hey, stop it! Silver tried to pull his head from his father's hands that were already checking his mouth and his eyes, and his ears. What is wrong with you?

-What is wrong with you, Lord Commander! Please make sure you address me correctly, my prince! his father made a serious face.

-I think our son will bring us a mate soon, his mother looked at him again and smiled, with all that love that was making her shine. 

-A what???