Rebirth

    Rebirth

Snow had begun to melt, dampening the ground as the season of rebirth came. Plant life slowly bloomed within the forest that sat at the foot of the Cold Mountains. Animals awakened slowly from their hibernation, various animals stretching and welcoming the warmth of the sun’s rays, shaking the long slumber and tiredness from their fur and feathers. Deer are grazing along the ground, their ears and tails flicking this way and that as other animals began to scavenge for their meals after a long winter hibernation.

A large grizzly bear had slink its way down the Cold Mountains, heavy paws in the snow till they became paw prints in the damp forest floor once reached. Big black eyes gazed out at its surroundings then turned its head to give a soft growl to a little snow cub that had followed suit. The cub gave a soft yowl before making its way toward the bear’s side.

The two sat down, side by side which is truly a strange sight to any outsider. Even stranger? Fur began to fall away from their forms and in place of the cub and bear are a little snow elf child and a man still bearing some semblance of his bear features; brown fur along his back and arms, claws instead of nails, a bear’s head, tan flesh on his torso instead of fur and battle scars along places of his body.

The snow elfling is a girl with animal facial features but just enough to still see elf blood in her given the long ears that showed her elf blood heritage. Snow white hair, untamed, fell to her shoulders, peach porcelain skin and icy blue eyes scanned her surroundings in wonderment. Both wore tribal attires though the male seemed to wear those of his clan warrior brethren. He looked strong, well built for hand to hand combat. For now, he protects his daughter as he shows her the forest coming alive in spring.

The man pointed toward a flower, a blooming purple columbine. “Look daughter,” he whispers “Spring has birthed new life as Gaia awakens from her slumber.” His voice is gruff but to his daughter, it is the sound of warmth as she looked toward the flower in question. That couldn’t be the only flower in the forest, could it?

“Papa, are there more flowers?” She asks though her senses seem to be overwhelmed by the different scents, sounds and more. All of this is new to her as she has only known the mountain den since she was born. Always she has been kept away from the hole of their den until she was ready to step outside for the first time to explore the forest that lay at the foot of the Cold Mountains.

“Yes, my Anise. There are more,” he says as he looked around then pointed toward a vine clung to a tree with wild honeysuckles still closed while some are already open. “Look there.” He says then gently pushed her toward the tree so she could explore within only his view. She gave a rough grunt as she didn’t want to leave his side but her curiosity got the better of her so she made her way toward them. Immediately, the scent of the honeysuckles were soft on her sensitive nose which made her smile. She got closer to them and took a soft whiff of them, a big grin on her face. “Papa! They smell so sweet!” She gently plucked one from the vine and took it with her.

“Smell it!” She shoved the flower into Tharn’s face which made him fall backwards, “ack!” Anise laughed then yelped as she was snatched up and tossed into the air, “papa! No fair!” He cuddled her in his chest then sat down, plopping his cub on his lap. “Those flowers are your mother’s favorite. Do you want to take some back to her?” He asks, smiling as his daughter nodded her head till she got a bit dizzy. “Yes!” She got up and ran toward the honeysuckles only to stop as she heard strange sounds above her.

He noticed her change in demeanor as she looked up, her ears working hard to find the source of the sounds but there are just too many for her to work them out. “Those are funny squeak sounds.” She points out as she kept trying to figure them out.

“Those are birds singing,” he says, watching his daughter carefully. Usually new things like this can overwhelm a cub of his kind and easily spook but Anise seems to taking it well though….he did notice her eyes dilate so he might have to cut this short of this becomes too much for her.

“Why are they singing?” She asks, slowly she became accustom to the sounds of the birds.

“They are singing to find mates and others are happy to not be so cold now that winter has gone,” he says.

Anise nodded though she saw something scamper across the tree branches. “Oh! Papa! Did you see that!?” She points out then tried to follow after it, only a few quick steps and she was already snatched up from her feet. “Oh no you do not.”

“But! Look!!” She squeals as she points toward the scampering squirrel. He did see it then looked at her, “that was a squirrel.” He chuckled softly, “now...i will put you down but do not try to run off otherwise your mother will skin me alive and use my pelt for a rug.” He gently thumped her forehead to which she bit his finger. He deadpanned, “….or you will use me as a chew block...”

After releasing her father’s finger, she settled down beside him. The two watching spring unfold before them. “Papa, how many times do we get spring?”

“Once a year.”

She frowned then tilted her head, “why once a year?”

“Because Gaia does tire to provide for her children so she must take time to rest.”

She thought on these words and nodded, “then...did Gaia rest long and well?”

Tharn chuckled, “yes my little one. She has rested well and she is ready to provide again for her children.”

FIN