The Linguist

my journeys will come

sometime very soon

for I have to meet them on the night of the full moon ~ "Carissa!" The tom hissed. He was black and white, though the eerie darkness made him blend in with the shadows. Not that he minded, anyway. He was used to being alone, even though he was surrounded by cats. That's what happens when you're a Linguist.

"Carissa!" The tom whispered angrily. If Clarissa didn't wake up soon, she would miss her training, and that would be the end of her life as a Linguist. It would last approximately 2 hours, the shortest time period that a Linguist has had his/her job.

The light ginger she-cat finally blinked open her eyes. "What do you want, Jacob?" She asked, trying to blink the sleep out of her eyes. Lifting her head up, she looks at Jacob, who seems to disappear to the light of the moon. Carissa feels like she-s wrapped in mystery - like the shadows that are now wrapped around Jacob. Only his fierce blue eyes are visible to the surface.

"Fox wants you for training." The tom watches the ginger she-cat stumble out of her nest, and how she gives off a weary sort of feeling. He dips his head. "I'll meet you outside in a few minutes." Walking away, Jacob looks back, and Carissa's smile seems to light him up from the inside out.

He chides himself for acting like a newborn kit. He shouldn't be so happy - this happy - because of one small smile. He should be always alert, always listening, and always watching. This is what he was taught when he was a kit; to always put the lives of the group as a whole, above his life alone. Jacob almost walks into the Great Rock, which stands in the middle of the clearing. This is the symbol; the symbol almost like an offering to the moon. The leader - Siane - always makes his meetings at midnight. Because midnight is the time of night when the moon watches over all of us, and blesses us with goodness for the upcoming day.

Jaco waits in the middle of the clearing, and he closes his eyes, feeling lonely. Loneliness isn't something that he's not used to, even though he's always alone. He feels a new sort of anguish pass over him, and he can't help but shiver. His mind is muddled with dark thoughts, and he tries to search for the light inside, and the happiness that always follows.

~

The great one awaits

For me to arrive

Tonight, tonight

At precise midnight

~ Carissa's thoughts run wild as she straightens up - precisely what she doesn't want. She needs to be focused for when she meets Fox. She can't help but imagine Fox as being a normal cat, who could teach her the ways of her new life. But Fox is a real fox, complete with the bushy tail, the beady eyes, and the scent that makes Carissa want to run away on the spot.

But endurance is - and always was - the key to being a Linguist. Learning to communicate with other animals, other species that no cat never knew existed is her dream come true. Her brother from a different litter has told Carissa stories about the Linguists - after all, he's one of them - since she was a kit. And now, her lifelong dream has finally become a reality.

Carissa walks out of the den, nervousness filling her with anxiety. Being nervous isn't something that she's used to, but the thought of meeting Fox has filled her with a new sort of dread. He is one of the Greater ones, that she was told. But no cat would dare describe what it's like.

Carissa racks her brain for her memories from Badger, and Mole. She calms herself by finding the common words between both languages. Because that is what a Linguist does - she uses known languages to figure out new ones. She becomes the path from normal to the unknown. She is a bridge between many separate worlds, finding a way to join them all together. For that is what a Linguist must do, to keep the next generations going.

Jacob walks towards Carissa, trying to find a way to speed her up. He knows the wrath that the she-cat will face, because he has experienced it himself. Fox is not someone to mess with. He's like a rampaging cat - always angry, always distant, and always so unpredictable.

"Carissa, we have to run there if you want to make it there on time." Jacob points to the moon, who is slowly rising, letting the different parts of the camp's clearing feel it's warmth and love. It's getting close to the highest point in the sky - midnight - and that's when Fox will expect her. Carissa nods her head knowingly. "Very well." She starts to run, remembering the way wind used to tangle up in her fur, and make her feel like she's flying. That's what she loves. Flying, and happiness, and joy, and being free.

She only stops when she realizes that Jacob isn't behind her, like she thought. "Jacob?" She calls, her green eyes full of worry. What happened to him? Is he alright? The worry leaves her when she sees him coming up behind, and she waits for him, trying to be patient. "Race you!" She calls, and the two cats run to the meeting place, all worries of the upcoming event forgotten.

~

Happiness fills her

In her small moment of bliss

But soon, something terrible will happen

Something that she cannot miss