The falcon's daughters

Chapter 4

“The cold purple rocks were everywhere around her. She hurried along the stoney paths when two panther cubs, one white and one black, ran past in front of her, she stopped.

- Dorcha?

In horror she saw a ravine open up beneath the two animals and their bloodchilling howls echoed between the ravine's walls as they fell to the bottom.

- Dorcha! No!

She rushed forward and fell to her knees at the edge. A wide river raged in the bottom of the ravine and the two panther cubs were nowhere in sight. Behind her she could hear a faint growl and she turned around carefully. In front of her stood a large black panther. It’s green eyes looked at her tenderly as it approached. At first her voice was full of doubt before she happily flung herself around the panther's neck.

- Dorcha? Dorcha you are alive!

Carefully, the panther pulled away from her embrace and began to walk along the ravine's edge. Kit followed a few steps behind her and saw another panther coming towards them from the other direction. It was white like freshly fallen snow and it tenderly pressed its head against Dorchas when they met. A young woman walked by the panthers side. The moonlight illuminated her white dress and her dark hair fell loosely over her shoulders and back. The woman stopped in front of her and Kit stared at her in wonder. It was as if she was looking into a mirror.

- Who are you?

Her voice was just a whisper but the woman smiled lovingly at her.

- One who has searched for you.

She put her arms around Kit and whispered in her ear.

- I'm waiting in the mountains.

Emotions awoke within Kit and for the first time in her life she felt complete. It was as if she had been missing a part of her all of her life and now it was in front of her. She answered the embrace and held the woman close to her. Suddenly, the ground shook under their feet and they were abruptly torn apart. A huge ravine had opened between them.

- You have to find me!

Barely had the words left her mouth until the ground collapsed beneath her and she disappeared into the darkness of the ravine. Kit threw herself against the ravine's edge and an anxious scream left her lips. "

- Nooooo!

The scream woke Lace who sat up in his bed. The loud screams were heard again and he threw on a long tunic and a pair of trousers and hurried into the room where Kit was sleeping. She was twisting uneasily in the bed and shouted loudly. Dorcha stood by her side in the bed and tried to wake her by buffing her cheek with her head. Lace walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder and shook it.

- Kit wake up!

She gasped, opening her eyes, and looked around frightened as she sat up.

- Lace ... What ... What happened?

- You had a nightmare my girl.

- A nightmare?

She sighed and leaned her head against her raised knees as she wrapped her arms around her legs. Memories from the dream washed over her and she looked up at Lace with tears in her eyes.

- But it felt so real. How could it have been just a dream?

He sat down next to her and put an arm over her shoulders.

- Why don't you tell me about it.

- I was among high cliffs. Dorcha was there and there was another panther. White as snow. And there was a woman with it. She looked like me.

- Like you?

- She said that she had been looking for me and that she was waiting for me in the mountains. And then I lost her.

Her voice trembled as she continued to speak.

- Lace I have to find her. It feels like she's part of me.

- I'll make a cup of tea for us. There's something I have to tell you. Maybe now is the time.

He pressed a light kiss to her head and got up from the bed. His thoughts spun in his head as he left the room, filling the teapot with water. A few thin twigs made the dying fire come to life and he hung the pitcher on the hook after putting in some fresh mint leaves. Was it really possible that she had survived? He shook his head at the thought. No, how could she have survived all alone in the mountains all these years. If not ... The thought was interrupted when the teapot whistled and he lifted it off the hook. Kit came out of her room as he poured the tea into their cups. She put her hands on the hot cup and sat down in one of the two chairs at a small table. She quietly took a sip before looking up at Lace, who was pouring some honey into his cup. None of them said anything until Lace sat down at the table. For a few moments there was only silence and then he took a deep breath before he began to speak.

- You know that Dorcha found you when you were just an infant and that we brought you here to the islands.

- Yes you told me about it when I was a kid.

- What I didn't tell you was that Dorcha had a sister.

- A sister?

- We lost her right before we found you. Her name was Déo.

- But why are you telling me this now?

- Because of your dream.

- What does my dream have to do with Dorcha's sister?

- Because we found you in the mountains and Déo was a white panther.

Kit stared at him quietly and he kept talking.

- Dorcha led me to you and maybe there is a chance that Déo were leading the way to another child. If she survived the fall down the ravine and found a child, we need to know what that child's connection to you is. Too many things happened seventeen years ago for it to be a coincidence. I came here with my boat after surviving a shipwreck and one day I found a friendly pregnant panther. Her daughter led me to you and now you have seen her other daughter and another girl, one that you say looked like you, in a dream. It must be connected in some way. I think it's time for us to leave the islands.

- Where are we going?

- To the place where I lost Déo. The Morat'x mountain range.

- I will go packing right away.

He could see a hint of a smile on her face when she hurried back to her room. Dorcha followed her into the room where she sat down and watched as Kit began to pack some clothes in a satchel.

- We are finally leaving the islands Dorcha. We are going to see the world and we will find the girl and the panther from my dream.

She squatted in front of her and gently she pulled her hands over the soft black coat.

- We will find your sister.

- Who knows what we will find. But Kit we have to be careful while we are in the mountains. We don't know what awaits us.

- But we have to go. We need to find them. I feel it is important.

Lace was waiting for them at the door when they were ready.

- Kit I know you have wanted to see the world beyond the islands for a long time but when we come to the mainland I want you to stay close to me. And I want you to take this.

He held out a rolled-up parchment roll. She rolled it out a bit and saw a map. 

- What is this?

- It is a map to a hidden valley. If something should happen and we get separated, I want you to go there. I will find you there.

She rolled the map up again and placed it in her satchel. Her smile was confident when she looked at the man who had raised her.

- Don't worry. I have Dorcha protecting me and you have taught me how to fight you know.

- This will not be like your training with the Shadow Warriors Kit. If you get a hit like today it will not be an icey shock. It will kill you..

Her eyes widened in shock at his harsh words and he pulled a hand through his hair and tried to explain.

- There are people in this world that are so cold and cruel that they can cause your blood to freeze in your veins. I know you are a good fighter but there is always someone who is better. You have to always be on your guard.

- I promise I'll be careful.

He sighed again when he realized she wasn't really listening to him. She was way too excited about the idea of leaving the islands to realize that there could be dangers along their way.

- Well I guess it is time to leave. The tide is almost here.