━» who are you?

[Vivika]

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[Vivika]

They always came without warning.

Eira didn’t hesitate. Heart pounding in her chest, she dove into the pile of soft moss and leaves, at the dark corner of the cavern. Jasmine and pine flooded her nostrils, and she squeezed her eyes shut, willing her breathing to ease.

Pawsteps thundered along the other caverns, claws scraping a discordant cacophony against the stone. Harsh voices pilfered the early tranquil silence. Somewhere beyond, mothers wailed, a cry even the Stars couldn’t drown out as kits were wrenched from their embrace. A song that would forever haunt her dreams.

It was a raid. A raid for kits and apprentices. The King’s army found a few each time. Mothers hid their little ones as best as they could, but it wasn’t enough. It was never enough. Some were always found. Every time.

Her paws trembled. No, stop.
If they entered this cavern… she forced a shuddering breath in.

There were stories… rumors of the fate those young, innocent souls had. They were trained, crafted, for the King’s army. Sent to conquer territory, sent to war, as soon as they were able. Those taken were never seen again.

By the Stars, she wouldn’t be one of them.

Wails dissolved into frantic pleas, into whimpers, then silence. As if the whole event had been a memory… a ghostly fragment of the past that vanished. But the rocks would forever bear the etchings of those thieving claws.

A reminder of the souls snatched.

[Vivika]

“...n-no. I can’t. I can’t.” Eira glanced at the silvery tom, paws trembling as she busied herself with sorting herbs. It was crazy. He was insane. The chieftain. Insane.

But those sea-blue eyes never left her, steady as steel. Waiting.

“I-I can’t,” she repeated. A nervous laugh bubbled through her throat as she shuffled her paws, idly tracing a figure in the dirt. This was insane. She was an apprentice. A healer’s apprentice.

“Eira.” The elderly chieftain finally spoke once more. His voice was calm. Too calm for what he was suggesting. He took a step forward. “You’ve seen what the King’s army has done to this village… this cavern. They have ransacked it and snatched those kits. Those apprentices like yourself. We can’t hide them for much longer.” His gaze rested on hers. “I’ve sent for help. There’s a clan… Eden. I need you to go to them ━ tell them about the situation.”

No, no, no. She couldn’t speak to them. She was no diplomat, not blessed with a silver tongue, not gifted with the gold voice that storytellers of the village had. Stars, she stuttered. It wouldn’t work. It wouldn’t. “A-and if I’m caught?”

“I’ve seen what you are capable of.” His muzzle quirked into a small smile. “Shall I remind you of your speed and stealth? The streak passing by my den every dawn hardly goes amiss, Eira.”

Her cheeks warmed. Right, that.
She shook her head. “They’ll kill me if they find me.”

“You won’t be caught.” A simple nod as he rose to his paws, drawing close. “You forget your heritage. You are Meira, daughter of Ariston. Heir to his legacy.”

She flinched.

They never forgot. Never. All those moons… those moons trying to erase her past. Her history. And that name… Meira, a name she wished didn’t exist, a name of blood and pain. Still, it stirred something within her. Something tangible. She stamped it down, eyes painfully rising to meet the chieftain’s. She wished it didn’t.

“Y-you’re wrong. I..I’m the daughter of a thief. A murderer.” She swallowed hard, voice quavering. “N-nothing more. My name… it’s Eira. I can’t help you. I’m sorry.”

The chieftain nodded, drawing back. “Are you certain? There are twenty-two in-hiding… this meeting is their only chance.”

Why her? Send an adult. Send someone. Anyone.

But it was a question she’d asked before. Adults would be spotted too easily, and with the presence of the King’s army out and about… any adult risking it out into the forest would be apprehended on the spot. She shuddered. It’d make sense to send an apprentice, but her?

“I-I can’t. I stutter. I’m just a healer’s apprentice, just a━”

“No. That’s Eira.” He shook his head, and paced a circle, once, twice, then thrice. “Why do you deny who you are? It hurts you… your potential.” A pause. “You hide behind the name Eira, but who are you? Who is Meira?”

He didn’t understand. He didn’t━

“Why do you fear her so much?”

His words were spell-bounding, captivating, holding her in place. Pinning her in place. She was frozen. Falling out of space into time. But how the excuses brimmed in her throat… how they threatened to spill like the crimson her father spilled without a second thought.

“You’ll never be your father, Meira. Never.” The tom’s voice softened. “Your heart… your compassion. You care too much.” He rose to his paws, turning aside.

Those dark eyes lingered on hers, a new exhaustion lurking within.
“Perhaps it’s time to let go of that name. Let go and find out who you truly are.”

[Vivika]

Moonlight glittered on the cavern’s stones, setting them aglow. A firefly wandered in, gently swaying in the wind, dancing to an unseen song. She closed her eyes, breathing a soft sigh, pressing herself against the cold stone as she strained for a moment’s peace. It evaded her.

The chieftain’s words resounded in her ears. Words she couldn’t unhear.

Why did she fear her?

Meira. That molly… terrified her. Her courage, her skill… her ability to focus solely on a task without deviating. The molly that took after her father. Her father’s hunting skill, stealth, speed. His cunning ambition. But her father was a murderer. A thief. A liar.

She didn’t want to be him. She wanted to be… Eira?
Eira, that sweet, gentle innocent soul, who could hardly lift a paw against another? The healer's apprentice, who abhorred violence? The one, the coward, that stood by while she had a chance to help?

No.

She wanted to be… to be free. To be able to laugh freely, love fiercely and live. To be that molly with both skill and compassion. Courage and conscience. She wanted to define herself.

But that meant acceptance. Acceptance of who she was. Who Meira was. And she could never do that… not without leaving Eira behind. Leaving that persona behind and stepping out to embrace who she was.

Taking a breath in, she steeled herself.
There was something she needed to do.

[Vivika]

Moonlight spilled over the rocks, the trees and the bushes, accompanied by the cool, gentle breeze ruffling leaves strewn across the ground. Cautiously, she poked her nose out of the cavern, eyes scanning the world bathed with gentle light.

Voices. Snatches of conversation caught in the wind, fragmented. Their scents were familiar… rough cedarwood and roses. Customary for the King’s guards.

She couldn’t do this. She should turn back, turn back before it was━
No. Eira couldn’t do this.

But Meira?

Taking a breath in, she scanned the area again. The King’s guards were close… but distracted. Her eyes narrowed. Distracted with some prey. If she was quick… she didn’t think. Taking a breath in, she darted out of the main cavern, pawsteps flying across the grass. She took cover behind a nearby rock.

The forest lay just beyond. Towering oaks and dense shrubbery welcomed her, calling to her. She could feel it, feel it in her bones, truer than anything she’d ever known. Another quick glance around. And she sprinted for the forest cover, weaving in, around and behind rocks.

She was never spotted. Not once.

[Vivika]

There. At the designated meeting spot… just under the silver oak tree, two toms lay, waiting. One dark furred… almost like the night sky, and the other with russet-like fur. They had to be the ones. And if they weren’t?

Swallowing hard, she fought for some composure. Something… representable. Her shoulders shook as she emerged from the bushes, stepping into some dried leaves to make her presence known. Breathe. She tilted her chin up, mustering as much calm as she could manage. “H-hello?”

The red-furred tom startled. A glance towards the dark one, before he rose to his paws tentatively. He dipped his head towards her as he approached. His eyes remained glued to the ground as he hurriedly surged on almost as if reciting a speech. “Greetings. You must be the village’s ambassador. Eden has heard your chieftain’s summons and uh…” The tom trailed off, frowning a little. “...I forgot the rest.”

The tom gave a sheepish smile, finally glancing up. His brows furrowed. “...are you okay?”

He was much younger. Much younger than she assumed. Her age, perhaps. And those eyes… dancing with warmth, concern and a touch of nervousness. They mirrored her own.

“I-yes. I'm alright. We… my village, they need help."

A brisk nod. "We should talk to that tom over there." He flicked his tail toward the dark-furred cat. "He's the big boss." A small grin. "He'll know what to do. Come… uh, wait. What’s your name?"

"It's…” She paused, searching for the words. Her gaze drifted to meet his. “Meira. My name is Meira."

Words had never been more true, and the peace flooding her soul never more sure.
And… it just felt right.