Lunar Heart, Shadow Bound ✓ [when the moon lies]

Ch.2: Her Name Means 'Rain'

"It's safe!" Tendri hissed.

"I was about to fall out." His fur was bristled, but soon lay flat. He landed with a soft thud and began picking leaves from his fur. Pinti kept an eye out just in case her father decided to come back for something. They weren't supposed to be playing with Kirlan right now. From the ages of fourteen to fifteen, young Kathula took the year to focus on gender-specific duties and while that didn't mean 'break ties forever', it did mean 'no playing with the opposite gender'.

When Kirlan stood next to her, she couldn't help but feel a little strange at how tall he was. Ever since they turned fourteen, he had been growing non-stop. They had once been the same height and now he was a head taller than she was. His fur had darkened to an azure, but his stripes remained the same pale blue.

He clapped his paws and scrunched up his nose. "Feels sticky. I think I touched the sap or squashed a bug. I'll be right back." His voice cracked at the end. Soon it would become deep like all the other adult males in the clan.

Once he disappeared behind the trees and his blue was no longer visible, Tendri tapped Pinti on her shoulder and signed with a twitch of her tail. You like him.

Pinti bristled at the thought. Yuck! He's just a friend! She signed rapidly.

Yeah. Tendri signed. Sure. "You will need to marry one day, lady Pinti," she whispered.

She bristled. "Don't call me that! Makes me sound like I'm suddenly different."

Tendri frowned. "But you are suddenly different. You don't play with me much anymore."

"But I'm still the same older sister that can't make her Lunar marking glow," Pinti objected, pointing to Tendri's forehead where, behind her bangs, her Lunar marking was. Her sister flicked her bangs away and made her mark glow with ease. Pinti tried her own, but, as always, nothing happened. She was the only Kathula in Makiista having so much trouble. To make potions, she had to have her father channel his powers into her. He didn't seem worried about it, but she was.

"Heizak. How would I make potions if I can't make it glow?" Pinti leaned against the tree. "I can remember all the ingredients, but I can't make potions without my power."

"You could make me Second Shamala when you become Shamala." Tendri dimmed the glow and fixed her bangs over it.

"That's stupid. There's no such thing as Second Shamala." Pinti scoffed.

"Well, I guess you need to make it then!" Tendri puffed out her chest and crossed her arms.

"Edglings!" Kirlan shouted and scampered over jutting roots, tripped, and collided into Pinti. She yowled as they tumbled over each other in the leaves.

"Heizak!" She batted him with her paw, claws sheathed, and pushed him off. "Calm down, will you?"

Kirlan chuckled and sat up, holding out a paw. "Just tried to ambush you."

"Heizak! You can try again in the future." She accepted his paw, but when he pulled her up, she was shocked at his strength as if pulling her up was nothing. Standing so close to him, she could make out the pale blue stripes on his cheeks that matched the color of his eyes. Over his shoulder was Tendri hugging herself and doing air kisses. Pinti licked her shoulder in embarrassment.

"What is that 'heizak' anyway?" Kirlan scratched his ear.

"It's her made-up curse word," Tendri chimed in, "She tells me to use it instead of feigat."

Pinti made a face at her sister for saying that naughty word. Kirlan chuckled, making her lick her shoulder again. She wished her instincts would stop showing him she was embarrassed. That was even more embarrassing.