Chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 



                   Seeing Spots 


                                          Chapter 1


   
    K’var, adopted son of Z’sharan and the human scholar Avhonari, jumped lithely from branch-to-branch in the jungle. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, stretching his muscles and taking great joy in his own swift movement. He hadn’t even bothered to Change into his wereleopard form, as he didn’t see any reason to. He was agile enough in his humanoid form to make it from tree-to-tree, and since his leopard form was heavier there was always the possibility that he might go crashing to the ground if a branch broke under his weight. 

He laughed to himself, his golden eyes gleaming. This was such fun! His claws sank into the bark as he paused on one branch, sniffing at the air to take in the mingled scents of the jungle. He crouched, balancing himself on the branch, as he looked around keenly. 

K’var had seventeen summers, but he looked younger than his actual age. This was probably because he was still so very childlike in many ways, still romping and playing like a cub. There were those(like the arrogant young hunter R’shan, who was constantly lecturing him about his behavior) that said that K’var needed to learn to grow up so that he could become a productive member of the tribe. But as far as K’var was concerned, the work he did with his father Avhonari, chronicling the histories of their people, was just as important as being a great hunter or forager. He was just like his story-teller father Z’sharan, in his mind. Besides, since he still lived with his human father outside of the jungle, he didn’t really need to be a productive member of the tribe anyway. He didn’t take food out of the mouths of his folk, nor was he taking other resources away from those who actually worked to get them either. His clothing(such as it was) was also provided by his human father Avhonari, as were all of his other personal needs. 

K’var settled back on the branch and dangled his legs in the air. He kicked them idly, turning his face up to the sunlight streaming through the branches of the trees overhead. He supposed that he should go home soon, as he had sword-work to do with his cousin Traggen. They practiced their skills every day together, and K’var had become very adept with a sword. He knew that some members of his tribe(such as the irritatingly pompous R’shan), looked at this human preoccupation of his in wondering disdain. Why would he bother to waste his time on such a peculiar hobby? But K’var was shrewd enough to know that it would be well if some of the younger folk of his tribe learned how to use human weapons, should they ever need to venture out into he human lands for any reason. It would be good if they could imitate humans as perfectly as possible, so that they did not give themselves away.

For those like R’shan who wondered in disgust why his people would ever have to venture out into the human lands, K’var could point to his own father Z’sharan’s history. He’d been caught in a trap set by human hunters while in his leopard form, and they’d carted him away to the human lands to sell as an exotic curiosity. He’d been unable to Change while in a cage made of iron, so if he hadn’t been bought by the then-Nobleman Avhonari he would have starved to death. While it had all turned out well in the end, there was no telling that a similar story would have such a positive ending. They might one day need to go out into the human lands again to save one of their own, and K’var thought it best that they were prepared to do so if and when that time came.

As though his thoughts had somehow conjured the biggest irritant in his young life, a large figure stepped out from the shadows under some trees nearby and walked over to the one K’var was sitting in. A set of amber-colored eyes lifted unerringly to find his, and K’var tensed and cringed a bit as he waited for the inevitable. 

Sure enough, the hunter R’shan scowled up at him and barked: “What are you doing out here all alone, K’var? You know you shouldn’t be by yourself. Cubs should never venture into the jungle without someone to watch over them.”

K’var returned the scowl. “I’m not a cub, R’shan!” he called down to the hunter. 

R’shan snorted. “Of course you’re not,” he replied dryly. “Not in body, anyway. But since you always act like one, I’m inclined to treat you like a cub. When you start acting like an adult, then I’ll start treating you like one.”

K’var wanted to hiss. Why was it that every time he turned around, R’shan was always there? Finding fault with him, picking on all of his mistakes, lecturing him at every turn…it drove him crazy! “I can act any way that I want, R’shan!” he snapped, his golden eyes angry. “Its nothing to you!”

The hunter’s frown deepened. “It will be if something happens to you and I have to come and save you,” he growled. 

K’var was nearly trembling with anger now. “If something does happen to me, you have my permission not to come and try to save me!” he cried. “In fact, I wish you wouldn’t! I think I’d rather be skinned to make a pelt by human hunters than be saved by an arrogant, preachy know-it-all like you!” with a last golden glare, he leapt lightly to the ground, shucked off his loincloth, and Changed swiftly into a leopard. K’var then darted away through the trees as fast as he could go, leaving R’shan standing behind him with an angry expression of his own on his strongly-planed, handsome face.





The hunter R’shan sighed and shook his head, staring at the space where K’var's leopard form had disappeared into the foliage a moment ago. That thoughtless, reckless cub of Z’sharan’s was going to get himself into real trouble one of these days, the hunter mused to himself as he turned away to resume the hunt that he had been on when he’d spied K’var sitting up in a tree. It wasn’t that he was a bad creature, but he had a tendency to do some extremely dangerous things without thinking. R’shan suspected that K’var had been venturing out into the human lands beyond the southern edge of the jungle, passing himself off as one of them. The very thought of what would happen should those humans discover his true nature made the hairs stand up on the back of R’shan neck. He’d spoken to Z’sharan about his cub, but he seemed to have a blind spot about his son and refused to listen when R’shan warned him. 

It frustrated him to no end. As a hunter and protector of the tribe, it behooved him to watch out for all of the members of said tribe. Even those who thought that they weren’t actually a part of the tribe, like K’var. He thought that because he lived outside the village, that meant that he wasn’t exactly a member of the tribe. But his father Z’sharan was still part of them, and he lived with his human mate. As did his brother J’Dran, who chose to spend most of his time with his human mate Traggen. That didn’t mean that they were any less of the tribe, though. It infuriated him that he couldn’t get K’var to see that the same applied to him. That wretched cub thought that he had the right to go wherever he wanted and do whatever he wanted, with no strictures placed on him whatsoever. Someone needed to teach him a lesson, but it wasn’t going to be R’shan, since K’var never listened to him. Ahh, he washed his hands of the nuisance. When something awful did occur, HE wouldn’t be rushing in to try to save K’var. 

With a last disgruntled growl, R’shan walked back into the jungle to get back to his hunting. He dismissed any other thoughts of K’var, since they only tended to irritate him and drag his concentration away from where it needed to be. 




K’var loped out of the trees and Changed. He shook himself a bit as he put his loincloth back on, trying to get rid of the lingering anger he still felt toward R’shan. Why did the hunter have to be such a busybody? Always poking his nose into everything that K’var did, and then lecturing him about it afterward. He sniffed, dismissing his nemesis, and trotted up the field toward the house where he’d grown up. He saw his cousin Traggen sitting on the porch, polishing his practice sword with a cloth. Blue eyes met his as K’var approached. “Hey, cub. Did you have fun?” Traggen asked him with a smile.

For some reason, the affectionate appellation made K’var feel angry all of a sudden. "I’m not a cub!” he snapped, then felt bad about getting angry at his cousin as Traggen looked surprised at his outburst.

Traggen studied him. “What’s got you all worked up, K’var?” he asked.

He sighed, padding over to sit down on the bench next to his cousin. “It’s that R’shan,” he told Traggen glumly. “I was minding my own business, enjoying myself, and he came along and yelled at me. Like he always does,” K’var added in exasperation. “Why can’t he leave me alone?”

Traggen’s lips twitched. He suspected that R’shan didn’t even know the reason that he couldn’t seem to leave K’var alone. It amused him heartily, although he never let K’var see that as he didn’t want to hurt the youngster’s feelings. “I guess he’s just worried about you,” he said neutrally.

K’var huffed in indignation. “Ha! If he’s just worried, why does he nag and lecture me all the time?”

Traggen cocked his head. “That’s the way that some people express their worry, K’var,” he pointed out.

The young wereleopard considered his words. “I guess so,” he said reluctantly. “But I just wish that he’d STOP worrying about me! It makes me so mad! I can’t do anything without him showing up and yelling at me!” 

Traggen’s lips twitched again, and he looked down at the practice sword in his lap hurriedly to conceal his expression from K’var. “Have you ever thought about trying to become friends with him?” he asked casually.

Startled silence. Then: “WHY would I do that?!” K’var yelped in disbelief.

Traggen shrugged. “I have no idea,” he remarked dryly. “Anyway, K’var, let’s get to our practice now. It’ll help you take your mind off of him.”

K’var jumped up. “I’ll just get my sword,” he said, and ran lithely off into the house. 

Traggen chuckled, giving into his amusement now that K’var was gone. “What’s so funny, nephew?” a voice asked quietly.

He looked up to see his uncle, Avhonari, standing in the doorway. He grinned. “Oh, its nothing. Your son was just out here complaining about that hunter R’shan again,” he explained. 

Avhonari lifted a dark brow. “Again?” he said in resignation. “The boy is always going on about him.”

Traggen snorted in laughter. “Exactly,” he said, making Avhonari give him a puzzled look. 


Z’sharan was sitting on a stump surrounded by little ones, telling the children of his tribe an exciting story. He loved the way their faces lit up as he described how one of their ancestors had defeated an evil creature created by an angry spirit to attack his folk. This act of heroism by one of their own was really exciting them. They made little growling and yipping noises when he got to the really good parts of the story, squirming eagerly as they imagined themselves in the place of that distant ancestor. 

He finally finished the story, making the children look both happy and disappointed that it was over. Z’sharan would have told them another, but it was almost dinnertime. He needed to collect his brother and go home to his mate and cub. So he shooed them away to their own meals, and they went with many an unhappy glance over their shoulders. He promised them that he’d tell them another story tomorrow, which cheered them up. As he watched the children go, Z’sharan saw a familiar figure striding toward him. 

He sighed when he saw the expression on the hunter R’shan’s face. He knew that look, unfortunately. The younger wereleopard always wore it whenever he was upset with K’var, which was often. Z’sharan braced himself for the coming conversation about his wayward son as R’shan approached him. “Good evening, R’shan,” he said politely.

“Z’sharan, I must talk to you about K’var,” the hunter replied abruptly without a polite greeting. R’shan could sometimes be very rude. 

Z’sharan blinked as innocently as he could manage. “K’var? What about him?” he asked.

R’shan’s lips thinned at his blatant attempt to deflect the coming lecture. “Your cub is a danger to himself, Z’sharan,” he warned tightly. “And perhaps to the rest of the tribe as well, should the humans ever become aware of our nature. He is reckless. I fear that he’ll be captured and found out. You must do something to corral him.”

Z’sharan gritted his teeth and spoke politely through the clench. “And what would you suggest that I do, R’shan? K’var is an adult now. He can do what he likes, and I doubt that anything that I said to him would change his mind. He’s stubborn, my cub.” there was pride in his voice, pride that R’shan clearly heard. He scowled down at Z’sharan.

“You will do nothing and let him go his own merry way,” he said coldly. “You obviously do not care about his welfare or the tribe’s, either.”

Anger sparked in the depth of Z’sharan’s golden eyes. “Do not presume to tell me what I do and do not care about, R’shan,” he growled. “Ever.”

R’shan took a step back, looking wary. “Forgive me,” he said abruptly. “I meant no disrespect, Speaker. I am simply concerned.”

Z’sharan softened a bit at his words. "I know that you are,” he said aloud, thinking to himself that he knew only too well, since he'd heard about it endlessly. “But you must allow K’var to decide what is best for him, as you would any adult member of our tribe.”

R’shan sighed. “The only problem with that,” he told Z’sharan gravely, “Is that I do not believe that K’var considered himself to be a member of our tribe, and so does not concern himself with its welfare.” with this parting shot, he turned and walked away without saying another word.

Z’sharan frowned over this last statement thoughtfully. Was R’shan right? Did K’var really not consider himself to be a part of their tribe? Feeling a bit uneasy, he got up from the stump and went in search of his brother J’Dran. He wanted to think over what R’shan had said to him before he talked to K’var about it.




He found J’Dran with a little group of hunters, all of them busy skinning and gutting the carcass of a plains elk that they’d ventured out into the grasslands beyond the jungle to kill. The huge creature would feed the entire tribe for at least a week, which is why the hunters went after the huge, dangerous beasts. J’Dran was smeared with blood but cheerful, and he waved a hunk of meat in greeting at his brother when he spotted Z’sharan standing nearby. “Hey, Z’sharan, we should take some of this home with us! You know how much Traggen and K’var love it!”

Z’sharan nodded in agreement, although this mention of his son made him frown a little. He waited patiently for J’Dran to finish his work, and when the elk was finally cut up and the meat was hung in the trees to keep it away from scavengers his sibling came over to him with a large hunk of the elk slung over one shoulder. “Let’s go home,” he said with a smile for Z’sharan.

The two brothers fell into step, but Z’sharan said nothing as he accompanied his brother to the stream so that J’Dran could wash the blood off of himself. His sibling stopped splashing and directed a questioning look over his shoulder. “Is there something the matter, brother?” he asked keenly.

Z’sharan shrugged. “I’m not sure,” he replied quietly. “I had another conversation with R’shan earlier…”

J’Dran snorted. “Him again? He’s a good hunter, but this obsession he has with our cub is beyond me,” he said scornfully. “Do you want me to have a little talk with him?”

“No,” Z’sharan replied. “Something he said today made me think, that’s all. And I wonder if he isn’t right on this point. I might just have to have a talk with my son soon.”

J’Dran studied his face, then nodded and went back to bathing himself briskly. “I leave that sort of thing to you, brother,” he said wryly. “As I’m no good at deep thinking. Which fact Traggen reminds me of often,” he added drolly. 

Z’sharan smiled a little. His brother’s relationship with his mate was often quite amusing for him and his own mate Avhonari. The two often quarreled cheerfully, and then coupled afterward with great energy to make up. Theirs was a rather wild mating, but a solid one nevertheless. Not something he would ever have believed when he was in the human lands, when Traggen had still been a horrible spoiled brat. But the human had matured a good deal before coming to seek out his uncle almost a decade ago. Actually, he was the more mature of the two in he and J’Dran’s mating, a fact that sometimes amused Z’sharan a bit. 

J’Dran finished with his splashing, rising to his feet. “Come on, brother. I’m hungry,” he said, slapping Z’sharan playfully on the back. 

He only staggered a little at this affectionate swat, since he was used to J’Dran’s form of affection. The two brothers entered the jungle to go home down that familiar path, both anticipating spending the evening with their family. 


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