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Old 02-06-2004, 12:22 AM   #99
Child of the 7th Age
Spirit of the Lonely Star
 
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Sting

Ráma

Ráma spent five minutes caterwauling and futilely throwing herself against the door of the armoire hoping that it would spring open or that the Man outside would change his mind. Despite her best efforts, the door remained fixed in place. There was considerable space inside the massive chest, enough room for the hunched body of a slender young woman. The obvious thing to do was to change from cat to human guise and kick open the door. Under her belt she had hidden a sharp dagger. Ráma did not intend to use it, but at least it was there if this angry Man proved utterly immune to common sense.

Just as her mother had taught her, Ráma projected an image of her human self inside her head, pushing the white cat back into a corner and trying to encourage the other to return. This, too, met with failure. However hard she willed the change to happen, her body remained that of a cat . A frightening thought intruded. What if she stayed a cat forever? Every young child had heard stories about maenwaith who had kept their animal form too long, either out of choice or negligence, and never found their way back to their original shape. But, on sober reflection, Ráma did not think this was likely. The particular gift of Ayar’s bloodline from the earliest days of the clan had been precisely this: the ability to hold form for long periods of time and safely transform back again. She should be alright when the transformation came as long as she didn’t panic.

Ráma could hear the Men talking outside the door. It was cozy and dark inside the armoire and Mithadan’s blue jacket made an enticing soft bed. She would have preferred to sit on the window ledge underneath the warm rays of the sun, but this seemed like a good second choice. Overcome by the typical needs of her cat nature, Ráma curled herself into a ball and fell into a light sleep, keeping one ear cocked to hear the Men droning on outside. If they finally stopped talking and decided to open the door, she would be ready and waiting.

Last edited by Child of the 7th Age; 02-13-2004 at 12:22 PM.
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