At the Mikide Townhouse, preparations are underway to host a party to be held in the garden to the rear of the manor. Toward this end, tables are being set up and arranged, lanterns are being placed, and even some of the shrubbery is being repositioned to make room, and some new flowers (favorite types of some of the more important guests) are being hastily transplanted.

A certain green-eyed Savanite kit has been worked to the point of exhaustion, along with the rest of the household, making preparations. But at a certain point, the kit has just been "in the way" … and so many of the grown-ups are certain that they can do it best themselves … leaving just one option for Kaela for the time being: to get out of the way. And that means a welcome break from the madness.

Kaela wanders through the gardens for several minutes before making her way to her favorite grove of trees. Settling down onto the carefully manicured grass in the middle, she lays back and tries to relax from her chores in the kitchen. As the sunlight filters down through the foliage overhead the little cheetah smiles slightly.

A shadow moves over Kaela's eyelids, blocking out the sun. It's a bit too conspicuous to be a passing cloud. For one thing, it doesn't pass.

Kaela quietly rubs at her nosepad, which had become a bit damp with perspiration during her kitchen duties, and leaves behind a slight smudge of flour. Blinking as the shadow drifts over her, she opens her eyes again and looks up towards whatever it is that's looming over her.

An upside-down grin of a besmudged cheetah face belonging to a gardener boy looks back down at Kaela. He rearranges himself so his face (and signs) are aligned a bit more properly. "Hello," he signs.

Kaela blinks at him. "Hello," she signs back, a bit cautiously.

It takes a moment to try to place his name … Gart? Gart, or something like that. As for his true-name, that's anybody's guess, though "Smudge-Face" might work well at this point. He smiles and starts to sign "Hello," right back, then sobers up and signs, "I'm a friend of what's-her-name. If you need anything, just let me know."

Kaela blinks a few times. "What's-her-name who?" She's not terribly trusting at the moment.

Gart rolls his eyes. He then points toward Kaela, and at his eyes. "Someone who's got eyes like yours."

Kaela ohs and grins! Of course! She had forgotten that Jade-Eyes was going to send someone… "I don't need anything… but thank you."

Gart smiles, and gives a sloppy salute. "Not a problem. I'll be around." With that, he trots off, picking up his hoe along the way, and returns to work on some bushes that have to be rearranged to make room for a long table.

Kaela smiles after him, then closes her eyes again and tries to sneak in a little nap.

The leaves rustle in the light breeze, filtering the midday sunlight to make flitting shadows that dance across Kaela's closed eyelids.

Kaela slowly drifts into a light slumber, a gentle purr drifting from her chest.

How much time passes is uncertain … but it seems like the shadows become less random, and instead are actually coalescing into … shapes … Shapes like symbols … Symbols which would translate from Rephidim Standard roughly into something like …

"BOO!"

Kaela struggles awake and peers about nervously.

Lying against a nearby tree, just conveniently within Kaela's immediate field of vision, reclines Jezebel, who grins at her, her hands up behind her head. It looks at first as if she may have been lying there the whole time, but tell-tale depressions in the grass nearby suggest otherwise.

Kaela clambers to her feet drowsily. "What are you doing here?"

Jezebel frees her hands, and signs, "Nothing. Much like yourself."

Kaela frowns at her. "Why here? And why did you disturb me?"

Jezebel frowns and shrugs. "Turnabout's fair play. It seems you've been acting by the letter and not the spirit, little sister. Have you gone and run to dear Zorah?"

Kaela signs, "You only told me not to tell Mother."

Jezebel sighs and shakes her head. "There you go," she signs.

Kaela signs, "I know the truth now. That's why you didn't want me to tell Mother, because you knew she'd tell me."

Jezebel shrugs. "The truth is rarely so simple," she signs. "I've made some mistakes in my youth, I freely admit. But those times are past."

Kaela blinks at Jezebel incredulously. "Mistakes??" She signs, "You betrayed us all and sold us as slaves for your own gain!"

Jezebel frowns. "I didn't suddenly decide to sell my family to earn a shekel. I assure you, a shekel isn't much use in the jungle. I acted out of necessity – I acted rashly, but it was not out of greed."

Kaela looks doubtful, but signs nothing more.

Jezebel signs, "If you speak to your mother, dear, you had better not tell her about the practicing you've been doing in the garden with your dancing. She will show you no more compassion than she did for me."

Kaela swallows. "Mother loves me," she signs. "I haven't done anything to upset her." Still, the accusation clearly has affected her.

Jezebel repeats Kaela's signs, with a slight change. "Mother loves you because you haven't done anything to upset her."

Jezebel signs, "It's not an act. Her love is genuine. But her feelings are very strong about magic – stronger than her love for her own offspring."

Kaela signs, defensively, "There's nothing wrong with dancing! I wasn't doing magic!"

Jezebel leans back. "Ultimately, it is all the same, don't you realize that?" she signs. "You cannot escape it. Dancing IS magic, just as there is magic in song, in art, in so many things. But you have a special link to the magic of this world – one that can be awakened if you stir it too strongly."

Kaela fidgets. "But… but I only want to learn magic so I can heal her… I don't want to play with shadows… or do any of those other things… "

Jezebel signs, "So stir it. But magic unfocused is of no use. You must learn. … but in order to learn, someone must teach you."

Kaela quickly signs, "I will not study from you."

Jezebel signs, "Then you will not learn, and your potential will be wasted."

Kaela frowns hard. "Better that than to become like you," she signs.

Jezebel jolts back, in mock shock. "You are too cruel with your signs. Is there really something so awful about me? And if there is, do you think so little of your own heart that you fear being corrupted by me?"

Jezebel smiles. "Do I scare you? Then maybe you should want to learn more, so you won't be scared anymore. Maybe others will be scared of you for a change."

Kaela signs, "You sold us as slaves to further your own power. You tormented me with dancing shadow-things to make yourself feel more powerful. You want to kill your enemies to increase your power." Frowning, she finishes, "I will not let you use me again."

Jezebel signs, "There is something you will have to learn, Kaela. Beware your pride." She smiles. "Do you think that odd advice from me? Listen to the message and not the messenger, then."

Jezebel signs, "Sometimes others may 'use' you, and yet you reach your own ends."

Kaela signs, "I will not follow you. And if you don't stay away from me, I'll tell someone about you."

Jezebel smiles. "If you do, you'll regret it. Oh, and that's not a threat. It's simply a fact. I don't have to do a thing. You know it. And Zorah knows it."

Kaela's eyes widen as she slowly perceives the trap. Lord Titus must know already… and if she tells anyone else, then Lord Titus will get in trouble for not dealing with the issue… and then things would be unpleasant for either herself or for her mother…

Kaela weakly signs, "Why won't you leave me alone?"

Jezebel signs, "I want what is best for you. And, as a matter of fact, for me. That is all."

Jezebel signs, "But, I see you have a strong will. I have presented my case. If you change your mind, and wish to learn, I intend to be around for a long time. But as you wish – I will leave you alone now."

Kaela just watches Jezebel, waiting for her to leave.

Jezebel slowly rises in a gliding motion to her feet, standing at the base of the tree she has been resting against. She looks to Kaela, then turns and strides away, her silks swaying in the breeze.

Kaela takes several deep breaths, then moves safely out of the shadowed forest grove.

Outside the grove, work is continuing just as it has been before. There's no sign that anyone has paid any notice to Kaela's reappearance – or her initial disappearance. By the position of the sun, it looks like she must have gotten in a pretty good nap at some point.

Kaela stretches slightly and rubs at her eyes. After a few moments, she pads back towards the servants' quarters.

Back in the building, Kaela has to dodge a few feet and tails to reach the stairway, and an oasis of relative calm.

Kaela quietly makes her way through the busy backhallways of the townhouse until she reaches the stairway up to her mother's room. Carefully she pads up the steps and knocks at the door at the top.

Kaela slowly opens the door after giving an appropriate length of time for Abana to realize someone's entering. She peeks in and looks towards her mother's bed. "Mama?" she signs.

Abana is indeed there, still resting in the pillows which are now covered with a light dusting of white-gold fur. She smiles at her cub. "Kaela, dear daughter," she signs. "Something horrible is happening!"

Kaela blinks! "What?" She hurries to Abana's side, watching her concernedly.

Abana signs, "I'm actually starting to get used to the taste of that Naga's oil." Her ears wiggle.

Kaela gives Abana a gentle hug and nuzzles her neck softly, smiling.

With that, Kaela's mother reaches out and hugs her back. She rumbles creakily.

Kaela leans back a little. "Are you feeling any better, Mama?"

Abana traces Kaela's nose up her muzzle and forehead, then lowers her hands to sign, "I feel better with you with me, daughter. You will always be my littlest kitten, and dearest to my heart." She smiles gently, black lips curling at the corner.

Kaela fidgets a bit. "I'd heal you if I could," she signs. "… if I knew magic … " And she watches Abana for her reaction.

Abana shakes her head slowly, her eyes cloudy as if seeing old and painful memories. "Daughter, the only healing you need to know is here. This is what truly matters." She takes Kaela's hands and places them over her daughter's heart, and then over her own, cupping them.

Kaela shakes her head softly, tears coming to her eyes. "But … but you're always in bed now … " She swallows hard. "You're … not really getting lots better, are you? You're still sick… "

Abana lifts her daughter onto her lap and looks out the window over her shoulder. "It is spring," she signs, "a time of growing things when new life comes into the world. We have our cubs in this season… But if we old ones never went on to make room for the young ones, soon the world would be filled with old whining, complaining Savanites and the young ones would be forever nagged by people like Sharp-Eye." She rests her cheek by Kaela's. "I have lived a long time. I have seen much. I have seen … " Her hands shake as a tear beads from her eye and onto Kaela's intermingled fur. "… my youngest daughter touching a legend."

Kaela swallows hard and shakes her head. "You can't go away… " She looks up at Abana, looking very much like a frightened little cub.

"Dear daughter … " Abana traces a sign over Kaela's chest, like writing: a word-concept, 'Endure'. Hauntingly familiar, that word… "You will always be my littlest kitten. I'll always be there for you, here." She rests her hand over her daughter's heart. "Remember that."

Kaela presses in close against her mother again, hugging her as tightly as she dares.

Abana cradles Kaela and purrs comfortingly to her, then starts to methodically groom her ears. . o O ( At least Naga oil is good for hairballs… But who will make sure my daughter washes behind her ears when I am gone? )

Kaela snuffles softly as she's groomed by her mother. "t isn't fair," she signs.

"Life isn't fair," Abana agrees. "But we get through it. That's what matters. That we get through it." She kisses Kaela's nose and then moves over to let the cub catnap next to her on the pillows and blankets.

Kaela curls by Abana, yawning tiredly.