The sky was dark and gray as rain gently fell onto the two open graves and the third that was being slowly covered with the dirt. She was four years old in stiff new clothes for the funeral of her grandmother and the two peaceful figures in the recently closed coffins, she didn't know who they were but she kept hearing the words "mother" and "father". What did that mean? She was too busy crying over the loss of her beloved grandmother so she didn't bother to try and figure it out, she never even got to see her grandmother one last time since it was a closed coffin funeral.
She ignored the soft murmers of comfort and the hands that patted her on the head or rubbed her back in sympathy. She stood there in silent tears until the last shovel full of dirt was thrown over the grave before she let the strong arms of Mr. O'Riley fold her into a hug and held onto her as if she was the only thing left on Earth.
"Shhhh," He soothed, "It'll be alright, you'll see..." He wiped away the tears that fell out of her emerald green eyes as they finally fell to a stop along with the rain as he took her hand and led her away from the graves. Everyone stopped and stared at the tall man in faded workclothes as he led the little girl with the bright, puffy green eyes along the path as another boy come and held the other hand of the little girl. The two brothers silently walked her to the simple white house that they shared with her grandmother. As they led the girl up the front porch steps she was startled by the sound of fiddles playing and the smells of cooking, she quickened her steps as she recognized the scent of lilles and vanilla candle wax.
"Grammy!" She yelled, exspecting to see the old woman with the smooth grace and soft irish lilt that she loved so much alive and well.
"No dear, I'm sorry, I'm not your grandmother... I'm your guardian." She whipped around to see a woman with wild black curls and sad blue eyes looking at her sitting in her grandmother's favorite chair.
"You smell like her though..."
"Excuse me?" The woman looked puzzled at the small voice before looking at Mr. Riley. "What does she mean Joseph?"
But it wasn't the older of the O'Riley brothers that answered, it was the younger, "She means that you smell like lillies and vanilla candle wax... That was what Mrs. Woods smelled like." The young boy trailed off and looked at the floor when the blue eyed guardian looked at him.
"It's the smell of a traditional and very powerful witch, we are all mourning the loss of her and her son and daughter-in-law..." She heaved a sigh before looking at the girl, "But we must look towards the living and to the promise of a better tomarrow. Your grandmother made arrangments that if something ever happened to her that I should look after you and help you discover and hone your powers. What did your grandmother call you?"
"Kitten, we call her Kitten." The young O'Riley answered again for her as his blue eyes met hers in a challenging gaze.She rocognized the protective look in his eyes and her own softened.
"I promise I won't hurt you Kitten, I'll help you. You have my word as a witch and as your Guardian." The small girl studied the woman's face, it was so full of honesty and kindness, how could she refuse? She nodded and her training had begun that very night. The night of her grandmother's funeral she had discovered that her grandmother was a witch and she, herself, was from an ancient line of shapeshifters and was one of the very few who could transform into any mammal in the world, in legends or in flesh. That was almost twelve years ago and she still hadn't lost that abilty although her guardian, Myra, wasn't so sure she'd keep it.
"What are you thinking about in that head of yours Kitten?" Startled, she whipped around and almost bumped into Connor O'Riley, her best friend ever since she could remember.
"Nothing, just thinking."
"About the funeral? Kit, that was twelve years ago... Sometimes you have to let go of the past and look to the future."
"I know, thanks Connor." He gave her shoulder a squeeze before leaving her staring out the window into the forest, lost in her thoughts again. This time she took his advice and let her mind wander, becoming part of the solid earth, the endless sky with all its wonders when she heard the call.
In an instant where the girl had stood looking out the window there was a gray wolf with sad eyes. The wolf turned and in a streak of blue-gray and gray she was gone, running into the forest, but she wasn't alone because at her side was Connor.
***
He looked at the wolf running alongside him and felt like he regognized it, "Kitten?" He wispered softly, the wolf heard him and sped up, sending sparks of silver flying all around her as she ran. He instantly picked up speed, he would not let his friend out of his sight, not after what happened to her grandmother all those years ago. No matter what he told Kitten, he still dweled on the past and he refused to let the prophecy come true, at least not without a fight...
He had no other time to think as the call got stronger and more urgent. The calling stopped when he and the wolf that was Kitten erupted into the forest clearing and she turned back into a human. No longer four years old, her wild black curls fell into an untamed tangle around her waist and her eyes were the same emerald green they always were. He constantly wondered where all the time went from when they were young.
