358 The Escour

The day birds were still resting as the owls slowly swooped back to their nests. A nightingale sang gently in the cool wind. A group of wild cats stood together at the gates. Each had saddlebags on their back as they waited. There were six in all, two panthers a larger male and his smaller mate, a Jaguar and a cheetah standing side by side with the pair of tigers who sat at watching the gates.

Clovis was the first to arrive a small pack on his back, carrying the necessary change of clothes for the icey weather they would be warping into. He saw the group of felines and stopped for a moment, a few thoughts crossing his mind. Kyera said they couldn't bring their guard along. It made sense that she shifter guard would come, but they were Kyera's personal guard. That made them the royal guard, did she not consider him her partner? He frowned and decided to not think about it for now.

Clovis approached the Smaller panther and greeted her. "Hello, I do not believe we have met." the panther hissed, pulling back from him with a light roar. The other cats tensed and watched him as though he was prey. He suddenly felt so out numbered it was terrifying. These creatures seemed to be a different level of shifter.

"Aiya! Shhhh, my lovelies. This one is mine." Kyera soothed the pack and wrapped her arm around his waist laying her cheek to his shoulders if hiding her face in his chest. Instinctively Clovis wrapped his arms around her. The cats seemed to relax a bit.

"Kyera, why do your guards seem to want me dead?" Clovis asked softly out of the corner of his mouth. She's obviously fine, relaxed and reassuringly confident.

"That is because these are wild ones. They are not shifters. The Male Panther, Ryo is the dominant member of this miss matched band and that little panther is his mate, Lya." Kyera explained as Lya brushed her head against Kyera's let as if in apology. Kyera smiles and scratched behind the Panther's ear. "The cheetah is  Ravi, don't talk to her. Honestly stay close to Bey and Gi the tiger pair. They are bond mates, Gi being the wife and together are a incredible force." Kyera introduced the cars before her as they watched curiously. They each seemed to look up at their names quizzically.

"They don't seem to understand a word you said." Clovis pointed out a bit concerned.

"That is because they don't. Wild Ones don't speak any tongue but the forest tongue. They are not shifters, just friends." Kyera explained as the two tigers sauntered over to sniff their new charge.

"Yes, don't worry they follow the law of the forest and your with me." Kyera pointed out as she looked back toward the Palace gates. They had asked not to be seen off but she could see Raina and Mordakai peeking out a window in the city wall. No doubt the elder bonding with the youth. She sighed.

"That would be immensely reassuring if I knew anything about that law." Clovis muttered as he followed Kyera toward the portal circle. Kyera chuckled at him softly, but he was certain she  couldn't hear him. However he forgot to take her tiger hearing into account.