Today she was wearing a pair of very baggy black jeans, secured at her waist by a silver chain belt. She wore no shirt, because it was not necessary, she being a furre. In fact, no clothing was important, but she liked the jeans. On both of her wrists were bracers that laced up on the insides, made from white leather, and around her neck was a spiked collar with a D-shaped loop in the front. From the loop, a thin silver chain hung and ended almost where the white fur did. She had one green eye and one amber eye, and her hair was long and silver-white.
She raised her right hand to her forehead. �Atah,� she called out, eyes closed. Her hand moved down over her heart. �Malkuth.� She tapped her right shoulder. �Ve gebora,� and her left shoulder, �ve gedula.� She brought both of her hands in front of her and put her palms together near her heart, her elbows out to the side. �La olam.�
She opened her eyes and smiled. �Thou art the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever, Amen.� She leaned over and picked up a small vial made of frosted black glass that lied before her. �Two more days,� she said softly, brushing a few strands of silver hair that had fallen over her emerald gaze, dropping the vial into her pocket.
Ayrei walked briskly to the east, sure to be home in time for supper.
�Mother,� called the young tigress as she walked through the doorway. �Mother, I�m home.�
A white tigress looked out from a room that was down a short hallway just before the doorway. �Ayrei, do you know what time it is?�
�Yes, Mother,� Ayrei answered, looking warily at the sundial she had passed on her way in. �I didn�t know I would be so long. Forgive me?� Before her mother could reply, Ayrei was halfway up the ladder to her bedroom. �I have to burn some incense for Khonsu. I�ll be down in a minute.�
In the room that occupied the space at the top of the ladder, there was only a small undressed mattress on the floor in a corner and random items scattered about elsewhere. In the corner opposite the bed, there was an easel that was obviously handmade by the artist whose unfinished artwork was resting on the unstable stand. The painting on the canvas was magnificent; black-blue background and a bluish hawk-headed man holding a staff that had a crescent moon on the tip. Next to the easel, almost underneath of it, on top of a small table, was an altar to the Egyptian moon god, Khonsu. There was a piece of coal with a burnt-out stick of incense still sticking out of it, and two candles; one white and one black; all surrounding a beautifully decorated statue. The statue was almost exactly like the figure in the painting.
Ayrei walked straight to the altar and knelt down, lifting the used stick from the coal. From a nearby cup, she pulled a new stick of sweet smelling camphor incense and replaced the discarded one. She lit a match and held it to the tip of the incense until it caught fire, then blew both out. As the incense burned, Ayrei lit the two candles and sat back, watching the altar.
�I�ll finish that painting soon enough,� she said, smiling. �I�ll have something for you after supper, friend Khonsu.�
The young tigress stood and brushed off her pants, then climbed the ladder downstairs again.
�Has Khonsu accepted your sacrifice?� Ayrei�s mother asked as the two sat down to eat. The table was wooden, very worn, but it served its purpose. There was a half-loaf of bread set near the center of the small round table, and one bread bowl the size of two fists nearby. A watery substance filled the bowl, steaming warmly. The scent of spice and warm bread greeted Ayrei.
�I haven�t offered it yet,� said the young tigress, sitting on a small stool next to the table. How about Bast? Have you read her your poem yet, Mother?�
The white tigress dissented, purring with her eyes closed. �I haven�t had the time to do any more than daily rituals and incense burning. You know how difficult it is to remain secretive about our religion and still hold our places in this Human world, Ayrei.�
Her daughter nodded solemnly; Paganism was looked down upon, especially by the Human Christians, who believed that their god was the only god, and that anyone else�s god was just made-up. Ayrei knew that there were many gods and that they all answered to a higher, more powerful god, somewhere in the Otherworld, but she wasn�t going to object and risk their lives. Humans were so closed-minded.
There was a rapping at the door, and Ayrei jumped to answer it.
�Who calls at suppertime?� complained her mother.
The reversed tigress purred, smiling, as she opened the door. Standing awkwardly was a long-legged male cheetah morph with vibrant red hair and green eyes. He smiled boldly, looking Ayrei up and down. Slight anger and discomfort from his insolent demeanor replaced her happy mood of only seconds ago. She growled steadily, quietly.
The cheetah purred reassuringly and said with a seafaring accent, �Aye, m�lassie, I mean ye no harm. I was jus� wonderin� if ye had any vittles fer me an� me pop? Y�see��
Ayrei�s mother stepped in, glaring reproachfully at the cheetah. �You�re a complete stranger, come onto our Master�s land, and you ask us for food?�
�Ah! I dinnae know this wuz yer Master�s land� Me pop jus� sent me up �ere to get some vittles. Our ship�s docked down yonder,� he pointed to the south, �an� me pop, �e�s real sick.�
Ayrei had backed up into the house and stared at their supper, her own stomach gurgling, but it was disrespectful to eat while one�s parents were not at the table. Silently, her paw wandered towards the bread bowl�
�Ayrei!� her mother growled loudly. The young tigress�s ears flattened as she drew her paw away and walked back towards the door. The cheetah smiled at her again. �I�m sorry,� said the white tigress to the strange furre. �We don�t have the food to give.�
He lowered his head and purred forlornly. �Aye, I und�astand miss.�
�Try the Master�s house, over the hill past the well,� Ayrei suggested over her mother�s shoulder. The cheetah smiled wanly at her as he nodded farewell, turned and sauntered away.
Ayrei�s mother closed the door and the two returned to the table.
�He talks funny,� remarked Ayrei over her bowl of stew.
Her mother gave her A Look and chuckled. �That�s how they speak on the sea, and across the ocean some of the furres have different accents.�
�I�ve never been on a boat before, Mother.�
�I know, dear. There�s good reason for that, too. There are assassins over on the other islands, and I don�t want you hurt.�
Ayrei bowed her head in silence. She knew that her father was a seaman, that he owned a ship and that was why they lived so close to the docks. Though her father was never around, she knew that he was an assassin and made his living over the sea. She hoped that someday she might meet him, despite the way her mother spoke of him.
The young tigress finished her bread bowl of stew and began to rip at the bread in an almost feral manner. Ayrei�s mother glared at her, blue eyes narrowing. Mixed gaze rose from the bread and met the blue stare sheepishly, and Ayrei�s feeding continued, more ladylike.
Back in her bedroom, Ayrei was painting her sacrifice to Khonsu. She remembered when her mother introduced her to the Egyptian gods and goddesses. Ayrei had always liked them the most because they all had animal heads, almost like she and other anthros.