| Her name was Aena, and she came with the dawn. The chirping of the lark welcomed her with it's sweet song and the frost melted beneath her padded feet. Her mother was Teyla, the most powerful, respected and loved Queen the land had ever had. But her once glossy coat was dull and though her eyes were still bright, her feet could no longer match the quickness of her mind. This was her last birth, Aena would become Queen. Aena grew quickly, from a roly cub, into a sleek young adult. The time had come for Teyla to step down and for Aena to take up the mantle of her loving mother. And as the young adult stepped up behind the Queen, the animals watching knew, the fish and birds knew, and even the land knew that Aena was Queen. As Teyla gracefully collapsed at her daughters feet, they knew. When Aena delicately bent down to lick the still form of her mother, they erupted in an unforgettable cry. The stripes on Aena's muscled back stood out amongst the deep green of the forest. She was Queen. |
| Aena |