The White Tiger

Waking up

"Ugh... Why do I feel... comfortable?" Kaiya slowly lifted her head, trying to ignore the agonizing pain shooting up from her lower back. She was laying on a grey cot that hadn't had much use; a duck down pillow kept her back from rubbing against the hard, grey wall and... did she smell like... what was that? Vanilla? It was; she smelled like vanilla!

"Whoever found me... oh fireflies... they gave me a bath!!!" Kaiya said to herself.

As she looked around, her eyes fell on a young boy who was peacefully sleeping in front of where she was laying. "A human rescued me?" She whispered, her ears twitching as she heard him breath.

Then she started feeling weak, and the room began to get colder, she noticed her fur becoming darker, her eyes narrowing in their range, and her paws becoming longer and more flexible. The boy began to stir, his eyes opened slightly and he looked at Kaiya. In a split second, he had scrambled to his feet.

"I.... I... I thought I rescued a tiger, not a... a girl!" He cried, shocked.

Kaiya turned her head, realizing she looked human. "You did, but I'm not just any tiger... I'm a half former." She said, ducking her head. "My name is Kai."

The boy just stared.

"My... my name is Jay..." He finally said, running his hand into his hair and trying to wrap his head around the fact that he rescued a magic being. "Mind if I take a look at your leg? You were hit with an arrow." He said, reaching out a hand to lift the sheet off her. Kai blocked his hand.

"How can I trust you?" she said slowly.

Jay noticed her eyes flash a iridescent color for a second and he knew he had to have a good answer. "Um... I didn't kill you when I found you. Or leave you there for dead." He said as he defended himself.

Kai's face suddenly softened, her eyes becoming a lighter green. "Yes... thank you... I'm sorry, I just have a hard time making good first impressions." She said, cursing herself for being so stupid and rude.

Jay relaxed and laughed, "It's alright." After Jay looked at her leg, she shakily stood up and stretched, supporting herself on the window sill.

"Might you have some extra clothes I could change into? Mine are barely holding together as it is..." She asked, embarrassed as she looked at her faded and dirty dress. Jay could tell it wasn't going to last much longer.

"Oh... well...you can borrow some of my sister's clothes if you want to." Jay said, rushing into another room and returning with a maroon red skirt and an olive-green blouse.

"Thank you, Jay." Kai said as Jay turned to leave the room. "Wait... But won't your sister mind If I'm wearing her clothes?" Kai asked

Jay hesitated "She's dead." He said, blinking back tears as he thought of the day he found her body, mangled and shredded. Kai winced as she knew he didn't want to talk about it and she had brought up a painful memory.

"I'm sorry... deeply sorry." She said, playing with her hair.

When Kai was done changing, she had Jay bring her a brush and thin strip of cloth, Kai then brushed her almost black hair until it shimmered, then she braided it and used the cloth as a tie.

Jay noticed that the similarities between Kai and Jays sister were breathtaking. Kai's green eyes looked at him, waiting for Jay to say something, anything.

"I... you... you look like my sister..." he said, staring blankly at her as the words left his mouth.

Kai smiled, looking at the clothes that were given to her.

"So, can you still roar?" Jay asked with curiosity.

Kai nodded. "I can"

"Can you do one right now?" Jay asked excitedly.

Kai smiled and let loose a huge roar out the window. It startled the birds and one swooped down to protect its children, clawing at Kais head.Hurriedly, she took a hard step back onto her leg, yelping as she collapsed on the ground, pain clouded her face. Looking at her leg she saw that the wound had fallen open again and was bleeding. Kai growled at herself.

"Sometimes I forget how clumsy I am..." she said as she looked at the bird.