Jalia was born in the far north, the third daughter of King of the Leqhoa Mountain. Like her siblings and parents Jalia was revered by the leopards of the mountain as a goddess, given her abilities to manipulate the weather.
Even as a cub she was quite proud of this and grew up more than a little superior and self-centered. She liked being special and embraced her status as a goddess of the mountain. But as she got older it became apparent her abilities did not match those of her siblings.
She had little control over them and when trying to cause a snowstorm was as likely to call lightning down on the mountain as actually conjure up any snow. Because of this, and several accidents resulting from it, Jalia's parents forbade her to use her powers for fear she'd hurt herself or someone else.
Jalia's pride was injured and she grew to resent her parents for it, feeling like they were making her inferior in their treatment of her and lack of help in teaching her to control it better.
For a long time her parents were at a loss as to what to do with their daughter who seemed unable to see beyond her own selfish desires. It didn’t help that their own judgement was somewhat clouded by their love for her and positions and king and queen.
Finally they decided to send her to learn something besides magic, something safer.
Jalia was sent to learn with one of her parents advisors, a six month training period they said. But it didn’t go entirely as planned.
~
Jalia peeked around the thick, ice door to the tower room. There at a table, also made of ice like most things in her father's palace, sat the most unkempt looking Snow Leopard she had ever seen. His fur stuck out all over in clumps and he barely seemed aware of anything as he studied the scroll on the table in front of him.
With a huff Jalia walked into the room, her claws clicking slightly against the floor. But the other Leopard didn't seem to notice.
Not accustomed to being ignored she cleared her throat pointedly, making the older Leopard look up.
"I am Princess Jalia," she said, lifting her chin a little and staring down her muzzle at him.
"No need to waste breath, I know who you are," he said gruffly, seeming almost irritated.
"I.." She was at a loss at first, not used to being addressed that way. Finally gathering her wits she managed to say, "I see no reason for such…rudeness. I am a minor goddess and
[i]your[/i] princess."
The older leopard made huffing noise. "Well,
princess, due to your lack of ability I am reduced to little more than a glorified babysitter. If anyone has a right to be put off, it's me."
Outraged Jalia said, "I am not a cub! And you are supposed to
instruct me, not babysit."
"Are you capable of learning? Taking orders instead of giving them and considering the results of your actions, and what they mean to others besides you?" His gaze was hard and Jalia was a little taken aback, not sure whether she was more offended or convicted.
"Of course I am," she said, unable to admit out loud that it might not be all that easy.
"Well, we'll see," he said. "None of that fancy magic of yours here. Just plain old paws and brains."
"I thought you were going to help me learn my powers," she said, unable to help sounding somewhat petulant.
"And how might I do that? I don't have fancy powers, but I've been alive a lot longer than you and can teach you far more useful things."
“Like what?” She challenged.
“How to be normal for one.” He grunted a little. “I’m not your servant, Princess. You can’t order me about and expect me to rush to obey. I am here to teach you and it’s about time you started listening to someone else’s voice rather than just your own.”
Unable to remember a time she had been spoken to so harshly Jalia had no words at first, just staring at the old Leopard.
After a minute he said, “Quit gaping and get over here. Lesson one, taking instruction, starts now.”
Squaring her shoulders Jalia walked toward him with her head high. She would prove him wrong. She was perfectly capable of taking instruction and listening to others. By the time they were done he would be sorry he ever suggested otherwise. And when six months was up, she’d be done with all of this.
~
The next few months were difficult for them both. Jalia was impatient and used to getting her way, not being told what to do and when. Her instructor was short tempered and had no patience for her stubbornness and refusal to be more careful with her powers.
She didn’t always mean to be difficult, but being the only one in her family not allowed to use her powers made her feel inferior or useless in some way. Nothing else held her interest like learning how to use her powers. Not scribe work, metal work, design work. Not until discovered crystal mining.
Her instructor was not only an advisor but also the mountain’s chief Crystal Miner. It was his job to go deep into the crystal caverns and mine the best crystals to be used to make things, currency, jewelry, decorations. The mountain traded these things with other lands for supplies and each crystal had to be carefully extracted from the caverns to be useable.
Having little to do with the working class Jalia had never really known where the crystals came from or how much work went into getting them and fashioning them into the beautiful things she so loved seeing around the palace.
Since it caught her interest her instructor chose to take her on as an apprentice. Her parents were hesitant at first, but if it would help they were willing to try.
Jalia followed her mentor into the caverns every day for months, watching the process he and the other workers went through, gathering crystals and separating them by which ones would be chipped down into currency, and which would be made into things by the mountain’s artisans.
Every day some crystals were sent up the mountain to the artisans to be made into decorative pieces and jewelry and the rest were sent across the mountain to the Jewlers. They were responsible for making the especially fine, detailed pieces of jewelry and chipping the crystals into the rectangular shaped chips that formed their currency. To assure there was no waste they came up with creative ways to use all of the crystal, even what was chipped away from the crystal chips.
Jalia enjoyed watching them work and even learned how to make some simple jewelry using the chips of crystal they let her keep. Being part of the process helped her learn to be patient and a little more considerate of other individuals.
By the time six months was up she was no longer keeping track of time and continued her work with the crystals.
During that time her instructor asked her parents if she might be allowed to continue her studies learning how to use her powers again. At his recommendation they allowed it.
Determined to prove herself and do it right this time Jalia worked hard at learning her powers, not complaining even when she was started out on the beginners level where cubs usually learned.
She wasn’t completely a new Leopard, she could still be selfish and self-centered, at times a little impatient. But now she had a better balance and didn’t give up or show her temper whenever things didn’t go her way. This helped her to have better control overall.
Finally the day came when her teachers would tell her whether she was ready to be granted permission to have full use of her powers.
~
Jalia waited anxiously in the training room, her old instructor by her side. They still didn’t get along all the time, finding plenty to argue about, but they had formed a kind of bond as he taught her more about his profession as Crystal Miner.
Her teacher came in before long, expression serious as ever. It seemed like an eternity to Jalia before the teacher said, “Princess Jalia, by order of the King you are granted full use of your powers, not to be revoked unless you should use them outside the standard guidelines.”
Jalia squealed in a very un-princess-like manner, even jumping up and down a little.
She finally had the freedom to use her powers as she had always wanted.
For the next year she spent time helping her family maintain the weather balance on the mountain, and she continued her work with the crystals.
But in time she became restless. She knew there had to be a lot more out there.
Every time they sent out crystals to some other pride they ended up somewhere after all.
As much as she loved the mountain Jalia realized she wanted to see more and learn more about other places before she settled there for good.
With her parents’ approval she prepared to leave the mountain and journey wherever her paws might take her.
The day she was supposed to leave she stood in her chambers, deciding what to bring with her. She didn’t want to be stuck with a lot of stuff to tote around everywhere, so first she decided to bring her royal collar. Everyone in the royal family had their own collar, specially made to suit their taste.
Hers was pale blue and laced together in front of her chest. Attached to the back, over her shoulders, were ribbons, fashioned to look almost like wings.
Next she chose her tail cuff, a gift from all the Crystal Miners on her last Birth-Day. It was simple in appearance but made of a strong, stretchy material that she knew wasn’t easy to find here and likely cost them a generous amount out of their pay.
After that she just packed some essentials, food and drink for a few days. A cloak for warmth.
As she was packing her old instructor knocked on the door frame, the door itself being open.
“Come in,” she said, smiling a little. Though she might not admit it, she knew she’d miss the older Leopard while she was away.
“I just…brought you a little something for the journey,” he told her.
“You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to.” He walked over and laid something on the fur covered ice slab that served as her bed.
Looking down at it Jalia saw that it was an uncut crystal, a bit crooked and rough in some places and with a hole through the top, but still shining bright as it caught the light.
“It reminds me of you, when you first came to me,” he said gruffly, looking down at the crystal. “All rough edges but full of potential.”
Touched by the sentiment but not one to go and get emotional over it she said, “I thought I was impatient and incapable of learning?”
“Well, I might have been wrong. You were a pain in the tail. But you proved you weren’t incapable.”
Jalia was quiet a long moment then said, “Perhaps, I just needed the right teacher.”
For a moment the older Leopard looked truly touched. Then he cleared his throat. ‘Well, anyway, you best get going. Don’t want to be traveling after dark.”
“Right. I guess…I’ll see you.”
“Goodbye.” He seemed to think a moment then hugged her briefly before disappearing out the door.
Jalia watched where he had disappeared for a moment then picked up her bundle and went down the stairs and out the palace doors. Whatever was out there she felt ready for it.
During her travels she stayed many places, most of them far from her home. And wherever she went a cold spell, or even full blown winter seemed to follow. Sometimes she would help ease the winter a little for some prides, other times she’d help bring in the snow just in time for celebrations.
Other prides began to see her as a sort of mysterious presence, coming and going with the wind. No one knew about her family, or where she came from, though she had the bearing of nobility.
But just as lions began to wonder who she was, and why the cold seemed to follow her, she would disappear, moving on to her next destination.
