Onyx

by Kimra

Chapter Two

The jungle surrounded them, as it had for the last two hours of travel. Thick with the scents of fresh rain and the low chirps of unidentifiable insects.

As they walked Talon Brown followed the gentle sway of her black hair with intense interest, in the morning rays there where flecks of silver visible, and he wondered if they would be there at any other time.

The others of the Eagle found the Lady Stone’s presence somewhat intimidating. After all Stones where renowned for their secrecy and Stones also tended to separate themselves from the Animal Lands.

That the Stone was even there, yet alone within eye sight set everyone’s nerves on end with uncertainty and suspicion.

Talon tried to break the silence that had settled over the company because of her presence, but every time words came to his mouth he realised how stupid they where. He was glad for his indecision, because otherwise he would have made far more of a fool of himself then he ever wanted to, especially in the presence of the exotic beauty he was following.

Her skin had a black sheen to it, giving it a marbled appearance, though it was light and didn’t make her look as alien he had been told Stones looked. Her dress was tight on her waist accenting her figure in a seductive way, the skirt frayed, longer on one side then the other, but it was a fashion she suited. Her tiny waist moved smoothly with her steps, a light sway that had him hypnotized. That is until he realised exactly what he was doing.

He would have chocked at his own thoughts if he hadn’t known that would only draw attention to himself. He bit into the inside of his check instead, his eyes diverted to there surroundings while he berated thoughts of the woman still walking in a tantalizing manner before him. The last thing he needed, and he knew, was an attraction to a Stone. He wasn’t even sure if it was natural to be watching her with such fascination, though he couldn’t imagine how anyone could resist.

“The Tiger Lands are vast, Lady of Stone.” One of the elder women in the group ventured, shattering the silence in a comfortable way that Talon knew he would not have been capable of doing.

“No more vast then any other land.” Her voice was calm and smooth with a hint of cynicism that was well concealed.

The lady who had broached the silence ignored or did not notice any cynicism directed to her. “We of Eagle have vast lands to be sure. But they are different. There are so many more tree’s here, a thick forest the likes of which I have not seen before.” The elder women looked through the thicket they had been walking though.

The pathway was clearly marked and clean, beyond the path where trails of darkness and tree’s no one could manage to see beyond. It gave Talon the feeling that they where being watched from the outskirts but he chose to not focus on that feeling. There was no war with the Tigers and Eagle’s so he did not fear attack this day.

“Each land is unique Lady of Eagle, I do not debate that.” Was the cool reply once more.

Then another silence settled over the company, no one seemed willing to tempt a conversation with the Stone after that one attempt. Talon did still try and form a conversation, knowing if his tongue was working his mind would not be so effective in it’s task of memorising the soft sway of her movements. Dully he noticed her feet taking small almost unnatural steps but he was distracted from that too when the jungle around them subsided to give a perfect view of the Tiger Lair.

“Is this the Lord of Tigers Lair?” One of the other’s in the company breathed with understandable awe.

Talon couldn’t muster the reaction, though the place was still breathtaking, he had seen it before. Standing back he looked up at the giant structure. All of the strong holds of the animal lands where breathtaking. They all held their own uniqueness just as their lands did. He had seen many of them in his life, and this one held that of a Tigers need to display. It stood well above the tree tops, daunting and vainly crafted. In his heart it didn’t compare to his home lands but it was still worth looking at.

The Lady of Stone, didn’t pause and his feet moved to follow her, while his companions where still taking in the sight of the Tigers Lair. The cave like structure keeping their attention until they too realised that they should be progressing.

So as they walked through giant corridors, past some of the People of Tiger, Talon found himself only two steps behind the Lady Stone, his own people some length’s behind him. And as they entered the heart of the Lair he witnessed the initial reaction of the inhabitants who where mulling about.

“Is that the Lady of Stone?” The deep baritone of the Tiger Lord echoed through the hollowed out chamber, resonating with strength. The Stone Lady before him walked through the crowd that was parting for her, and ignored the curious looks that where sent to the man a step behind her.

Remembering himself Talon Brown made certain his crest was showing as he moved and he heard a few of the whispered murmurs of the crowd.

“Tiger Lord.” Her smooth voice whispered and she came to a halt before the raised platform that worked as the Tiger’s throne. Her body moved in a fluid bow, not the curtsy he would have expected from any other lady. The Tiger Lord twisted to his side to look at her, his body sprawled across thick animal furs, none cat. Talon was a bit annoyed with the lethargic way the Tigers presented themselves but pushed annoyance aside. He was a diplomate today, and he would act it.

“A guest.” The Tiger Lord declared his voice as loud as before. His large body moved with surprising nimbleness so that he was sitting on his dais, watching the guest. “An Eagle.” He mocked, and some of the crowd tittered with laughter.

Talon Brown felt his companions enter the room and walk up to the dais.

“Lord Tiger, of the Tiger Lands.” The Stone Lady bowed respectfully. “The Eagle Lord’s dignitary’s have declared themselves openly and requested passage through the Tigers great lands.”

“And with just that you allow them to pass?” Tiger demanded, glaring down at her with contempt.

“I guard the bridge of passage with vigilance. Danger rarely present itself in such a guise as honestly. My duty is not to turn away honoured guests of the Tiger Lords great house.” She did not bow again, as Talon expected her to nor did she stoop under the Tiger’s glare.

“Very well.” Tiger drawled in response.

“As is my duty, I turned back one who bore an untrue crest. Attempting to hide in the company I now present to you.” She made a delicate wave of her hand at the company her eyes not moving from the Tiger Lord.

“That is very disturbing.” Tiger proclaimed and settled back to rest his weight against his arms, leg’s still crossed. “Amethyst guards the bridge now, does she Onyx?” Tiger asked in a conversational tone, and Talon then saw her fingers curl in agitation even as a smile graced her lips.

“We are vigilant.” Was her reply and she turned, walking silently from the room. No body made a move to stop her, and he assumed there had been some silent cue he had missed. Talon’s attention snapped onto the restful Tiger Lord even as the Stone Lady left. Onyx the Tiger Lord had named her, though Talon would not risk her wrath by calling her by her name until she volunteered it. There was something elusively deadly in the way she moved and he was not there to risk his life with stupidity.

He tried to remind himself he was not there to think about her at all, but she was a main focus of his attention as he drawled out the diplomatic speech’s that would keep him in the Tiger’s favour. After all, she was a stone, and she had no right to be there, not even a breath of a right. The Stones where a breed apart, all facets where breeds apart, but the stones where beyond any of the Animals, and had made it known they wanted nothing to do with them. To find one guarding the entrance to the Tiger Lands was disconcerting. So as much as he did not want to think about her, she had to be thought on. It was just controlling what those thoughts where, that would cause him the most trouble.

* * * * *

Onyx moved with precision through the crowd, her body sliding through the tiniest gaps as she made her way to the thicket of the conversation. It was not in her duty to attend the gala’s the Tigers seemed to thrive on, but it was on the occasion her choice. The times the Tiger Lord took it upon himself to order her to attend she never went, and he had overcome the concept of ordering her about, to some degree.

She managed to move into the main conversation with ease, although she did not participate, only listened to the conversations between Eagle and Tiger. It was somewhat of a spectacle to have them in the same room. Eagle’s had long ago claimed they did not like Tigers, and although they where not at war, and there was no spoken enmity between the two facets they where not on good terms.

“Boring aren’t they?” A warm waft of air whispered across her ear. She turned her head to see who the speaker was through the corner of her eye and looked back. She was inclined to respond, or at least rub the top of her ear that seemed to have erupted into tingles, but thought the better of it. She was not there to be social.

“I asked a question.” The voice murmured into her ear again. She didn’t glance, he hadn’t moved any closer, but his presence felt like it was closing in around her. She knew they where at a respectable distance, a Eagle Talon was not a foolish person, they knew rules like any other, but he felt close.

“And I chose not to answer it.” She replied casually, her voice quite, she did not want to interrupt the dribble of conversation occurring before them.

“I can tell you what they say latter.” Talon Brown murmured once more and she turned to face him, her brows drawn together in the smallest of imperceptible frowns. She breathed a light sigh of resignation.

“Ask me what you wish.” She breathed, her back to the conversation, the men to her left and right facing into that conversation and oblivious to her.

“Do you enjoy being so unnoticed.” Talon Brown waved a glass holding hand at the people around her and she nodded her head curtly.

The Eagles had been in attendance of the Tiger Lord’s Lair for a week now. In one of the cat’s first signs of self restraint there had only been two balls that week. The first the day of the Eagles arrival, which she had not attended but Amethyst had, the second was the one in progress, and it was dull for the People of Tiger. The ball of the full moon in three nights would be more spectacular. The Tiger’s never failed to acknowledge there tell tail flashy nature especially when there where guests to admire them.

“Will you answer all my questions so concisely or will you attempt to participate in it?”

“I will not answer all your questions.” She replied blandly, watching his expression scrunch into a frown that amused her in a strange way. “But those I do answer I’m sure I shall be concise about.” She murmured, smoothing over her first sharp words. She wondered as the words left her where the need to take the sting from her words had come from and didn’t like the response she got. She did note that her palms where hot, and her body a little more fidgety then normal.

“Is it your nature to not talk? Or as you just nervous?” The smile he offered her was all shyness and strangely enticing. She wanted to jump back from him surprised by the reaction in herself. She could detect the slightest attraction to him, which was nothing unusual, what scared her was the rate it was escalating as the brief conversation continued.

“I talk when it is required.” She replied with bite once more. He was a distraction she could ill afford and she wanted to remove him from her presence, rudeness seemed to work effectively on the Animal Facets.

“Okay.” He murmured, his lips pressing together his frown shifting a little. “Why don’t you tell me why a Stone is guarding the bridge to Tiger Lands?” He raised the glass still in his hand to his lips, sipping the wine as he watched her. Her eyes moved smoothly away from him then back in.

“Because it is not required.”

And he smirked at her, absently pleased by the way she was toying with words. Making them suit her so she didn’t have to talk.

“I noticed you.” He whispered.

Her eyes shot up to his surprised her expression blank. “What?” She asked with quick uncertainty. Her mind unable to quite grasp what he was referring to.

“In case you don’t like being unnoticed. I noticed you.” His smile was secretive.

“And what if I like being unnoticed?” She questioned back, ignoring the smile.

“Then I should apologise. But one would assume you wouldn’t attend these things if you wished to remain unnoticed, because no body could help but notice you.” His voice dropped lower as he spoke, his eyes fixed on her. Onyx’s back straightened for a second then she turned completely from him and returned to her pursuit of the conversing group, her body alert to everything around her.

* * * * *

Talon watched the ceremonial proceedings of the Eagle-Tiger talks with disinterest. Picking up tones more then words. He knew the words they spoke before they where spoken, most of the room did. Only the novices had no idea what would be said next, and that, only because they had not studied the tasks given to them. Every animal had a different way of talking to every other animal. It was tiresome, having to learn every way to address a different diplomate but it was also drilled in so deep he couldn’t have forgotten it in his sleep.

His eye’s moved across to the violet eyed lady who had slipped into the room less the half an hour ago, her attention fixed not on the words but the company.

Now Stones where a different breed altogether. Their customs where not known by the animals, there reason’s where like glass, you knew of it’s existence but could see nothing in it’s centre. The way they where addressed was with absolute respect or they tempered. That much he had observed in the week of his stay. And although he had seen little of the black eyed beauty, the Lady of Stone Amethyst walked the tunnels of a day and even accompanied the Eagles in tours through the thicket of the jungle.

Amethyst was just as silent and cautious as Onyx, but she lacked the distance, and lacked the cynicism. There was an openness to the mauve lady even if she was silent. It seemed more shyness then discourtesy.

Amethyst’s purple eyes moved up to the open roof to gage the sun’s position then returned to the table. Talon too looked up, it was a while before sunset, and that was when Onyx and Amethyst exchanged guardianship of the bridge, then too at dawn. He let out a breath of frustration, trying to divert his mind from the thoughts they wanted to travel, only to realise the conversation’s still happening before him would do little to distract him.

He wanted to talk to the silent ink blot, he wanted to run his fingers through her soft hair and trace the lines of skin he could tell would be smooth. He bit down into his check and stared at the proceedings mindlessly.

He didn’t know why he had approached her at that ball, but she had called him over to her, even if she wasn’t aware of it. The moment she had entered that room nothing else had existed. He feared he might have walked away from a Tiger mid-sentence but couldn’t quite remember. And what had possessed him to flirt, if it could be called that, with her, he pretended not to know. But just thinking about her gave him a hundred reasons why he had done it.

“Not good.” He muttered to himself angrily. Infatuation wasn’t a new thing to him, far from it, lust was even further away from being new, but not for a Stone. He’d even lusted after one of the Butterfly’s for a time but it had been half hearted and it hadn’t distracted him from political conversations that meant the preservation of his clan.

“What’s not good?” The man beside him, an Eagle, asked with piqued curiosity.

“What?” Talon jerked and stared at the man, luckily the rest of the table continued with it’s dribble un-noticing.

“You said not good.” His friend smiled daringly at him. “What’s not good?” Talon breathed out a reluctant breath, not even a life times friendship with the man next to him would get him to admit what he had just been thinking.

“Just thinking about the situation.” He waved his hand at the speakers and his friend nodded in understanding.

“If this doesn’t work, were going to have to go to the Bat’s.”

Talon cringed at the reminder, and forced his thoughts onto the situation. The Stone could wait to be thought of until he was alone, for now he had to do his duty.

	Property of Kimra Lelanst, do not duplicate without consent.