Chapter 35: New Moonborne?
The group let out a collective sigh of relief, their shoulders easing as the weight of the encounter lifted as they walked away, guided by Sakura and Artemis. Everyone relaxed, their bodies softening and their steps slowing to a more leisurely pace.
Darian pulled Maria closer to his side, his arm wrapping around her waist as he looked down at her with a warm smile. "It's been a long time since we've had an evening like this, just the two of us," he murmured, his voice low and intimate. "It feels almost like when we first met."
Maria leaned into him, her body pressing against his as she looked up at him with a soft smile. "It does, doesn't it?" she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's nice to have this time together, away from the others."
"The village comes alive at night, doesn't it?" Sun Qui mused, his eyes scanning the terraced homes that lined the path as he and Yi Chun followed the others.
The lanterns lit by similar glowing to the bugs used by the panther village, only Yue and Korran knew that it was the blue luminescent moss, hanging outside each dwelling cast a warm, inviting glow, their flickering light casting dancing shadows on the limestone walls. The scent of night flowers, mixed with the sweet aroma of fresh meats, filled the air, making Korran's stomach rumble softly. Above, the moonlight danced on the ancient river beneath the arching stone bridges, turning the rocks in the cascading water through the village into shimmering, silver-tipped jewels. The sound of laughter and soft conversations drifted from the open windows and doorways, creating a sense of warmth and community that seemed to envelop the group like a gentle embrace.
"Indeed, it's quite enchanting," Yi Chun agreed, his voice soft as he looked up at the sky, his ears twitching gently. "There's much scent of meat, I wonder if there us anything accommodating for us?" He mused, largely to himself. Sun Qui still nodded in agreement as the wrinkled his nose at the scent.
Korran, noticing, turned to him and chuckled. "Indeed, it's quite enchanting," he mimicked Yi Chun's words, before nodding towards the elders walking in front of them. "But I must admit, all this talk of meat has made my stomach rumble. Yue, my love, would you care for some freshly cooked meat? Although, I'm not sure what wild beasts are nearby."
Yue's eyes widened slightly at the sudden change in topic, but she quickly nodded, a soft blush creeping up her cheeks. "That would be lovely, Korran," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Korran smiled, his amber eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked down at her. He then turned to the elders, who were walking a few paces ahead. "Elders, may we trouble you for permission for a a small group fire? My mate is a picky eater and will only eat meat burnt."
She laughed and briefly stopped to turn back to them, "I'm sure we can find something for you all," she said warmly, her silver hair bouncing with each step as the two matrons resumed leading them to their accommodations.
The elder matron's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression turning thoughtful as she considered Yue's peculiar preference for burnt meat. However she said nothing further on the topic, Sakura noticed but thought better than to ask about it now.
Artemis, the older leopard matron, turned back to Korran and Yue, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Of course, dear," she said, her voice filled with gentle understanding. "We have plenty of fresh meat from our recent hunt. I'm sure we can find something to your liking." Her kind eyes scanned the group, taking in the mixture of beasts that walked among them. "And don't worry, my dears, we have some fruit and vegetables as well for our plant-loving friends."
Instead, Sakura simply turned to the others durthrr behind them, with a smile. "Now, dear Yi Chun and Sun Qui, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that we have a good array of some medicinal herbs, fruit and vegetables grown right here in our village. Our soil is rich and fertile, and our farmers are skilled in cultivating a variety of plants. You'll find that you have quite a selection to choose from."
The words were like music to Yi Chun and Sun Qui's ears. The older let out a soft sigh of relief. "Thank you, elder," he said, bowing his head respectfully.
Smiling and thankful at the prospect Yi Chun's little deer tail in his human form swished excitedly behind him. "That sounds wonderful, elder. Sun Qui and I have been eating nothing but foraged bitter-greens from the ancient forest for so long now. I'm afraid we've grown quite weary of them." He let out a soft sigh of relief, his exhaustion with the monotonous diet evident in his voice.
Walking behind Yi Chun, Sun Qui perked up at the mention of fresh vegetables. "Yes, indeed," he agreed, his voice filled with a newfound energy. "It's been a long time since we've had a proper meal, hasn't it? I'm looking forward to trying something new." His ears pricked up, and he quickened his pace, eager to reach the feast that awaited them.
As the group approached the end of the path, the elders came to a halt, and Yue found herself following suit. As her eyes scanned the scene before her, she let out a soft gasp of awe. The elders had stopped and as they arrived, they took in that they were standing on their own little cliff terrace, with three doorways without doors, carved into the cliff face. These caves would be their homes. The sight was breathtaking—the doorways were not merely openings but intricately carved arches, adorned with symbols and patterns that seemed to dance in the flickering lantern light. The smell of fresh herbs wafted from within, mingling with the aroma of the night flowers and the distant scent of fresh meat.
"Welcome, dear guests," Artemis said, her voice filled with warmth and pride as she gestured towards the little carved caves. "We hope you'll find these accommodations to your liking. They have never been lived in as this was a new area we were working on."
Yue Lixue noticed that the furthest one even had a little window-type opening without glass but adorned aith some rock. Korran noticed her gaze too and said, "We will take the furthest one." His thumb circling the back of her hand in his.
The next to chime in was Maria, "These are cozy. We'll take the middle one." Her voice was soft and warm, a stark contrast to her usual strong and confident tone, the sunset seemed to have an effect on thse her and Darian.
She looked up at her panther mate, Darian, her eyes reflecting the lantern light as she smiled at him, her cheeks flushing slightly with contentment. "What do you think, love? It's perfect for us, isn't it?"
Darian, standing tall and proud beside her, looked down at her with a soft smile. "It's perfect, Maria. Just like you." He said, his voice filled with affection and love. He then turned to the others, his gaze softening as he looked at each one of them.
"It looks like that leaves the one closest to the connect bridge for us." Yi Chun shrugged as Sun Qui rolled on his heels before dashing in to their cave to have a look around.
"I think we should all get some rest," Yi Chun said, his voice gentle and understanding. "It's been a long day, and tomorrow promises to be just as busy."
Yi Chun and Korran exchanged a knowing glance, their lips twitching with a shared amusement. They couldn't help but notice the blush that had crept up on Maria and Darian's cheeks, the soft looks they exchanged, and the way their hands found each other as if of their own accord. Yi Chun, unable to resist, leaned in towards Korran and murmured, "I think our dear friends here might have other plans for their accommodations." He let out a soft chuckle, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Korran, catching onto Yi Chun's meaning, turned to Maria and Darian with a smirk.
However, the elders, Artemis and Sakura, stood by silently, their warm smiles spreading across their faces as they watched the group settle into their new homes. Their eyes glinted with pride and contentment, a sense of satisfaction washing over them as they observed the beasts they had welcomed with open paws, now finding comfort and familiarity in their village.
"It's nice to see them all so comfortable," Sakura murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper, yet clear and filled with genuine warmth. She turned to Artemis, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears of happiness. "It's been a long time since we've had such a diverse group in our midst. I daresay our village is all the richer for their presence."
Artemis nodded in agreement, her silver hair shimmering in the blue glow of the lantern light as she turned to look at the group, calling over, "Indeed, we will send a small group of our beastmen to bring you some wood for your fire and gener supplies to get you started. They will be here shortly, dear guests." She gestured with her hands at the open are between the homes as if suggesting they have the fore exactly there, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled warmly at the group.
Sakura stepped forward, her vibrant pink and yellow tunic swaying gently as she moved. "Yes, don't worry, we won't leave you wanting for anything. Our village prides itself on hospitality, and we want to make sure you have everything you need to make your stay comfortable." She looked at each of them in turn, her kind eyes lingering for a moment on Yue and Korran, who were still standing near the furthest cave.
"I'm so glad you're all here with us," she said, her voice warm and sincere. "We'll leave you to settle in now. Please, make yourselves at home."
As the elders began to make their way back along the path, the group, minus Sun Qui who had slipped away to explore, thanked them for their hospitality. "Thank you, elders," Yue said, her voice filled with genuine gratitude. "We're so grateful for your kindness."
Korran nodded in agreement, his amber eyes reflecting the lantern light as he looked at them. "Indeed, thank you, Artemis and Sakura. Your village is truly beautiful."
"Yes, thank you both," Maria said, her cheeks still flushed with contentment. Maria and Darian echoed their sentiments, their voices soft and heartfelt.
As the elders turned to leave, Sakura paused and glanced back at Yue and Korran, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. She stepped closer to Artemis as they walked and once they were acoss the connecting bridge, lowering her voice so that only the older leopard matron could hear she asked, "Artemis, what do you make of Yue's strange preference for burnt meat? It's almost as if she doesn't trust it or perhaps us?"
Artemis nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly as she considered the peculiar request. "Yes, I did. It's rather odd, isn't it? I've never known a beast who preferred their meat burned." She paused, her thoughts drifting back to Yue, who was now examining the intricate carvings on the doorway and inside of their new home. "And her side glowed very faintly in the moonlight, Sakura—there's something about them... she may well be..."
"A new Moonborne." Sakura finished her thoughts, nearly inaudible to Artemis who was right beside her. The thought lingered between them with weighed as they walked into the busier centre of the village.