Chapter 2: The Compound

Jeffery and Mam followed Brigit in the truck for a while, gliding in the trees behind it. Brigit did not look at them as she watched the trees pass from the passenger seat. The two men with the equipment with food and strange snares Brigit was unfamiliar with were forced into the open bed of the rust-colored truck with a single glare from Violet. Violet then leaned over and clipped a black collar around Brigit’s neck. A silver tag hung from its front and a red light flashed from the neckband’s side.

“To keep you safe,” Violet said with a smile before turning her eyes to the road as she drove forward through an unbeaten path in the trees.

Brigit tried to look at the band around her neck and batted at the small, dangling tag. It chimed against the metal link that attached it to her collar. She frowned and rolled her shoulders back.

“How I hunt with this?” she muttered.

“I will feed you. There will be no need to hunt.” Violet answered, not sparing a glance at her. The little Ocelot frowned again and turned to face the truck door. Was the medicine not to make her a better hunter? Like her mother? Brigit twitched her whiskers; to not hunt was to not be a predator.

“Ma, why you kill?” Brigit sat on her haunches, pulling back from gnawing leftover meat off a monkey bone from a meal a few days back. Ma sat down next to her and smiled.

            “All predators must hunt, little one. To hunt is to survive. If you didn’t hunt, what sort of predator would you be?”

            Brigit tilted her head, eyes wide. “What a pret-a-tor?”

            Ma laughed and nudged the little cub with her nose. “Finish eating, Brigit. We can talk more after you’ve eaten.”

Brigit shivered and forced the memory away, suppressing the guilt that threatened to grow in her chest at the thought of her mother. Her lips curled downward with a frown. She wouldn’t think of it. It wasn’t her fault.

She stood on her hind legs and pressed her small paws against the glass window, hoping action would exile her feelings. Brigit tilted her head and found that she knew every inch of the world they drove past. The entire forest was Ma’s land. From the river’s edge to the little cave, from the tall tropical trees to the wiggling root; Brigit knew this land from the moment she could walk. But wasn’t it odd that they were not bordered by other territories? Did Ma know that they were the last of the kind?

With a shake of her head, Brigit dispelled the thoughts. The trees receded as the truck veered onto a thin gravel road. Brigit lost her footing and banged her jaw against the door’s handle and reeled back. She fell onto her rear and grimaced at the pain.

“You should be more careful, Coward.” Violet said breathless, glancing over at Brigit with worry spread out across her face. She reached out to catch Brigit with one hand, then pulled it back when she realized she was too late.

Curiosity made Brigit’s eyes wide and she turned her damaged vision to Violet.

“Why you be calling me that?”

Violet paused a moment, as if thinking, then smiled but did not answer. Brigit decided against questioning the woman again—because when Brigit’s mother did not answer something it meant that she was too young to understand yet—and turned back to her window and climbed onto its ledge, her whiskers brushing the glass. They crossed a small bridge over a river Brigit recognized. For a moment, she longed to jump into it. She had never left the forest before. A momentary shiver of fear trickled over her back yet Brigit ignored it—how could she be a predator if she was afraid? Surely Ma was never fearful.

But then the blue surface of the water and the tree line behind it faded from her view, along with her worries and concerns. Before she could take a breath to prepare herself for the world outside the trees, towers of metal and steel rose up beside her so swiftly that she was startled into awe. Humans unlike any she had seen—granted, she had seen very few—walked through the streets and spoke to one another. Over their shoulders were coats of animals ranging from squirrel pelts to that of tigers. Others held signs in a language foreign to Brigit, chanting and waving. These sign-holders glared at the people with animal pelts with distaste and hatred. None of them paid any heed to Brigit as she was whisked away right under their noses.

Brigit tucked her tail and lowered her ears. Pelts of animals? Was that what those birds were warning her about? How very few of them were left? If only she was back in her cave.

She closed her eyes for a moment and felt guilt settle in her throat. If only she hadn’t insisted on learning how to hunt. Maybe her Ma would still be alive.

When she opened her eyes again, the city had vanished. She craned her neck to see the glittering towers behind them disappearing into the background. The unease left Brigit as the city passed away.

The squawks of birds made her look ahead once more. A gate rose up before them higher than any tree Brigit had seen. It locked together with metal links and sharp edges and it hummed like the nightly bugs.

The road ended before the tall gate and number pad stuck into the ground near the driver’s seat rose up to meet the vehicle. Brigit leaned out her window as the truck rolled to a stop.

Jeffery and Mam cawed and flapped their wings in front of the car window, crying out to Brigit as they landed on the hood of the truck.

“Brigit! The first chance you get, you must run back to us!” Jeffery cried. Violet paid no heed to the birds as she punched in the code to the number pad. Mam locked eyes with the tiny Ocelot.

“Listen to us, child! If she puts a collar—” Her eyes turned to the collar. Mam slumped. “Then it is too late, little one. None with the collar ever return.”

“I be safe now,” Brigit shouted through the glass. “It be okay! You go back now. I be going to get healed!”

Mam shook her head and jumped off the hood. She swooped out of sight but Jeffery remained.

“We will visit when we can, Brigit. Stay safe.” Then he, too, left Brigit with Violet. Violet shook her head with a sigh.

“It is sad, those birds. They aren’t as smart as you.” With a smile, she leaned over and tapped the top of Brigit’s head. “But don’t tell them I said that.”

Brigit’s chest filled with air and she beamed, dispelling the bird’s warnings. Violet laughed under her breath the gate in front of them rolled to the side and allowed entry. The truck rumbled through and the gate closed behind them.

Before them a wide range of environments spread out. To Brigit’s right was a grassy meadow, a small lake in its corner by the fence. The lake harbored fish and small birds that sat atop the water’s surface. A many-limbed river from the lake separated all different plots of land before connecting back into its origin point, winding around like a snake and circling the plots as if they were individual islands. Tiny animals ran and chattered in these plots before spotting the truck and hiding wherever they could. Brigit tilted her head at the sight.

“Why they be hiding?” she asked, looking over at Violet. Violet spared a quick glance and smiled.

“They’re going to go get their welcome gifts.” she said. “They are all very happy to have a new member to their family.”

Family? Brigit’s smiled at the word and continued to gaze outside. Yes, family. Like the one she had for a few days before her brother and sisters died. Like the one she had before her mother…

She jerked her head to the side, grabbing at anything to drag her attention away from her memories.

Next to this plot where the lake originated were tall and thick trees, the kind Brigit had never seen before. They rose high, but not higher than the fence. They also sat a good distance away from its buzzing grasp. Monkeys swung through the branches and cat-like creatures prowled beneath. There were howls from creatures Brigit could not see and as she pointed her ear towards the direction of the sounds, she imagined fierce cats making the sound.

The trees swept over a wide range until they were met with the river, where a large rocky knoll crowded the third island. Goats kicked and fought against each other, bashing their horns against another’s. Brigit looked at them with wonder; how could banging your head against someone else be fun, she wondered.

Last was a mixture of land, with trees, a large protruding rock that tilted upwards ever so slightly like a hill, and grass covering the entire ground.

To live with so many animals, both prey and predator, sent Brigit’s nerves on end. She was fearful of larger beasts, but excited for smaller prey. The hair along her spine rose up in anticipation.

The truck crossed a small bridge as Brigit’s eyes focused on a home built of iron sat before them. It stood on metal legs a few feet off the ground with steps up to it. Its tip was sharp like a tree and had large windows on every side. Statues of animals carved from marble sat at the bottom of the steps and on either side of the door. At the edge of the steps were vicious looking lions, with wild manes and sharp fangs. Near the door was a set of wolves, with fur standing on end and glistening eyes. A wooden banner with symbols carved into it hung over the door in a language Brigit could not read. The cub stared in awe, wondering what sort of animal lived in such a strange den. Violet glanced at the Ocelot.

“Can you read?” she asked.

Brigit shook herself to return to reality. She turned her gaze to Violet.

“I be reading a little Mistic.”

Violet smiled and stopped the truck near the steps.

“It says ‘A Home for Animals’ in the human’s language.” Violet gestured to the sign. “But you won’t need to read human words. They’re nothing to worry about.”

Brigit nodded and jumped over to Violet’s lap. She trotted to the window and peered out of it.

“What be my territory?” Brigit asked. Violet moved Brigit back over to the passenger seat by the scruff of the Ocelot’s neck.

“Do not walk on me, Coward. And you shall be in the Fourth Plot, with two other animals. A male and female. It should be…comfortable for you.”

“Other Ocelots?” Brigit’s ears strained forward. I be having a family! With a Ma and Da!

Violet’s smile remained as she shrugged. “I guess you’ll see.” She opened the door, stepped outside and motioned for Brigit to sit in the driver’s seat.  Brigit leapt over to it and Violet knelt down before her. “You stay still, little Coward. We’ll patch up that nose of yours and get that eye working all right soon.” She turned and snapped her fingers to her comrades who climbed out of the bed of the truck. She spoke in a language other than the native Mistic tongue of the animals, and Brigit frowned. The language was harsher that the Mistic tongue, and held accented growls and higher pitched snarls. Brigit tilted her head to the side and attempted to figure out what they were saying when one of the men with backpacks strode over to Violet and handed her a small bag. Violet clucked her tongue and the man headed up the stairs to the large standing house.

Violet turned back to Brigit with a compassionate smile. “All right, little Coward, we’ll fix you up.” She opened up the bag and pulled out a few strange looking white, small sticks with bundles of fur at the end. “This may feel strange.” Violet took Brigit’s chin and placed the tip of one of the sticks into Brigit’s nose. Brigit frowned and tried to pull away, but Violet held her steady. Pain shot through Brigit’s skull. She let out a soft meow and Violet pulled away, chunks of dried blood on the tiny stick.

“Breathe in through your nose.” Violet ordered. Brigit did and was overwhelmed with the scents she could suddenly decipher. Her face split with glee.

“I be smelling!” Her tail swished back and forth. Violet allowed herself a quiet laugh.

“All right, now the other nostril.” The woman repeated the process on Brigit’s nose until all the scents of the nearby territories flooded through her nose. The water hit her first with its sweet and light smell, then the scent of different kinds of trees—from those with buds of flowers that made Brigit’s nose wrinkle, to those smelling of sweat and grass. Prey and predator smells mingled together and swirled through her nose, but without the scent of blood. Strange. Why wouldn’t they attack one another? Weren’t they enemies? But maybe, Brigit thought, maybe this place was safer than the outside world, like Violet had said. Maybe there was no need for violence or hunger or fear. Smiling, she spun in a circle with excitement.

“I be thanking you!” Brigit chirped, grinning wide. Violet ruffled the fur atop Brigit’s head and laughed.

“Aren’t you the sweetest thing? Now, let me see that eye of yours.” She leaned close and pulled the right eye open as far as it would go. The scab that had formed over it broke and droplets of blood started to flow down Brigit’s fur. “Be brave now, little Coward,” Violet hummed, her eye near Brigit’s, “just like your mother.”

Brigit swallowed her cry of pain and puffed out her chest. When Violet pulled away, Brigit didn’t move to swipe the blood off her face.

“I can only supplement your food, little Coward. This eye of yours may be something you will have to live with all your life. But I’m sure a strong Ocelot like you will learn to deal with it.” Violet smiled and stood. “Now, to your territory.”

Violet whistled at one of the men who had stayed near the truck and, just as Brigit’s paws were about to hit the soft earth as she jumped out of the truck to follow Violet, he snatched her up and took off running. He smelled of foul leaves and feces.

Brigit grimaced at his touch and dug her baby teeth into his hand. He frowned under his facial hair and tugged his hand out of her mouth before shifting his grasp on her, but kept running nonetheless. The little Ocelot squirmed in his arms and looked over his broad shoulder, back to Violet. She meowed as loud as she could. Violet then glanced over at her, smiled, and waved. Brigit relaxed. If Violet was all right with the large man taking her, then it must be safe. Why else would she smile? In response, Brigit smiled back and meowed. She stuck up her tail to show she was confident. Violet continued to smile, but turned to look over a wooden slab in her hands. She wrote upon a white sheet as she started up the steps to the standing home.

Brigit wiggled in the man’s arms, twisting around to see where they were headed. They stopped at the edge of the river that separated the rocky part of the land from the mixed section. Or the Fourth Plot, as Violet had called it.

The man set Brigit down and crossed his arms over his broad chest. Brigit looked up at him and tilted her head. He pointed to the river, then the Fourth Plot. Did he expect Brigit to swim over it? Brigit turned and touched the water with her paw before looking back up at the man. He nodded.

Little Brigit shook her head and sat down on her haunches. Surely he realized that the gap was too large for someone her age?

As the thoughts crossed her mind a creature strode up to the other edge of the river. It was large and brown. It had a massive nose and small eyes. It reared up on its hind legs and roared. It smelled of strength and danger.

Brigit bristled and leapt to all four of her feet. She showed her teeth and pinned her ears back. It grinned over Brigit’s head and jumped into the river, crossing it easily.

“Come along, little one. I shall carry you across.” its feminine voice said over the waves.

Brigit hesitated. “But the man…” She looked behind her. The man was backing up several feet with scent of prey staining him: the smell of rotting fruit and piss. Brigit wrinkled her nose against it with a frown.

“The men are not to be feared,” the brown creature said, her eyes glaring back at the man. Then she smiled and climbed halfway out of the water in front of Brigit, her massive frame casting a shadow over the tiny Ocelot. “Violet is the one you should be wary of. But you probably already know that. Now, let’s get you to your new home. It looks like you’ll be staying with Thief and I.”

“But…if he be having the fear scent, why don’t you be chasing him?” Brigit tilted her head. The brown female shook her head.

“If we harm her stewards then she takes her frustration out on us. I’ve seen a few other animals come back from that anger. It isn’t something I want to experience.”

Brigit’s ears flattened against her head. “Violet wouldn’t be hurting anybody.”

The creature let a small, sad smile cross her face. “I’m sure you’re right, little one. Now come on, we must get going.”

Brigit eyed the creature. In the water, her fur clung to her large and bulky frame. The brown fur did not hold spots or stripes, or even different shades of colors that Brigit had seen on other animals before. Surely it must be a defect to not have any, for how else would the beast blend in to the constantly changing forest floor? The female animal’s eyes were small and brown, just like her coat, and glinted with a sort of love Brigit had only once seen before: in her Ma’s eyes. With a look into those eyes, Brigit scrambled over the massive paw with black claws that the female held out for her and climbed onto the animal’s broad back. As the creature pushed away from the shore, Brigit dug her nails into the pelt as the waves crashed against the side of the animal she rode. The creature grunted but didn’t complain and they reached the other side without Brigit getting one strand of hair wet. The animal climbed out of the water and laid down on her belly to allow Brigit to leap off.  Brigit felt better with solid ground under her paws and she looked around at her new home with excitement and wonder. It was about as large as her Ma’s territory and even had a river to count as a border. She could get comfortable here, just like Violet said.

The animal beside her shook herself off and Brigit bounded away, trying to avoid getting wet. In a matter of seconds, Brigit was soaked and miserable. With a swift motion at her chest, the brown beast smiled and introduced herself, not noticing Brigit’s misery.

“I am Sepher, heir to the Regnum de Ursi,” she smiled and bowed. “And you might be, little one?”

“I be Brigit, Biggest of them Smallest. I be an Ocelot!” Brigit shook herself off, shivering from the cold. She had already gotten wet once today and she wasn’t so pleased to be soaked a second time. She frowned as her pelt clung to her shaking form.

Just then, another animal strode up out of the small bundle of trees. He was thick like Sepher and had grey fur and pointed ears. His tail was long and full, unlike Brigit’s. He was half Sepher’s size, but still much larger than the small Ocelot cub. A scar ran across the left side of his muzzle and up over his left eye and his left ear was cut in half. He was also thicker than any feline Brigit had seen and even his paws were different, with their triangular shape and his claws digging into the ground. Does that not be bothering him, Brigit wondered. Why he not draw his claws back?

“Who is this?” he growled.

“Ah, Thief, you finally decided to stop brooding.” Sepher sat down, licking between her massive claws—which, Brigit noticed with surprised, were also unsheathed. “This is little Brigit. She’s an Ocelot.”

Thief snorted. “What are you heir to?”

“I…” Brigit started, then trailed off. “Why you care about hair?”

“Not hair, you fool. Heir, as in prince or princess to something.” He bared his fangs and shook his head. “Did Violet decide to gather idiots?”

“Now, now, Thief—” Sepher started, showing the under part of her paw to attempt to calm him down.

“My name is not Thief,” he snapped, causing Sepher to reel her paw back with a snarl. “It is Goliath. I am heir to the Stipent de Medius-Lupos. Or I was, until my pack was wiped out.” He shook his head and eyed Brigit with silver jewels. “So? What are you heir to?”

“Um.” Brigit pawed the ground and tucked her tail. “My Ma’s…territory?”

Goliath spat. “Can you not speak Mistic, Ocelot? Did you hit your head a little too hard, cub?”

Brigit’s ears flattened and she backed up. Sepher growled and pounded the ground with her massive paws. Goliath yelped and jumped back as she swatted at him.

“Leave her alone, Thief! From the look of her she has been through enough!” She looked to Brigit with kinder, hazel eyes. “Did Violet do that to you?” With one large claw, Sepher pointed to the scar across Brigit’s eye and the dried blood on Brigit’s cheek.

Brigit looked at her with confusion then shook her head. “No. Violet saved me. She heal my nose! She make me smell again!”

Goliath and Sepher both stared at her with disbelief and astonishment pulling their eyes wide. They said nothing for several moments. Finally, Goliath laughed.

“Saved you? And what, she brought you here after? Does this look safe to you?”

“Yes!” Brigit combated. “She keep me safe! She say!”

“She said that, did she?” Goliath sneered. “Well welcome home, deary. You’ll never step outside again.”

Brigit blinked and looked to Sepher, then back at Goliath. “Why you want to leave? She be keeping us safe here.”

Sepher looked away and said nothing. Goliath sneered once more, striding up to her and putting his nose in her face. His breath was hot and smelled of rotten prey as his silver eyes bore into her.

“Do you know why that fence buzzes like bugs? Don’t you think it odd?”

“Thief!” Sepher barked. Goliath flicked his tail and ignored her.

“You know what else, child? Every few months men come here. You know what they do? They buy us. Like we’re property to them. And those animals disappear forever.”

“You’re going to scare her, Thief!” Sepher pounded over to him. Goliath reeled on her.

“She should be scared! What fool comes here willingly, Liar?” His eyes narrowed as he watched Sepher bristle at the name. “Besides you, of course.”

“Do not call me by that name.” Sepher warned, her face coming inches from his. Goliath scoffed.

“You call me by the name she gave me. Why can’t I call you by yours?

Sepher bared her teeth. “You are a thief. Your name fits.”

“And yours doesn’t, you big Liar? Where did that lie get you, anyway, hmm?” Goliath smirked. Sepher’s muzzle coiled with rage.

“That’s enough, Thief!” She reared up onto her hind legs and stood like a human. “I will not hear any more of this!”

Goliath rolled his eyes and turned to Brigit, who stared at them with her ears forward and her eyes large. His muzzle scrunched up. “What are you looking at, child?” Then with that, he flicked his tail and returned to the bundle of trees.

Sepher relaxed and fell back onto all her feet. She turned back to Brigit with a small, meek smile on her lips. Brigit gazed at Sepher’s small eyes.

“I’m sorry about him, Brigit. This place has made him hard.” Sepher ruffled Brigit’s hair with the pads on her paws. “I’m sorry you had to see that. It must have been frightening.”

“I wasn’t scared!” Brigit insisted, swiping at Sepher’s paw.

“Of course you weren’t.” Sepher flashed a sad smile, falling onto her haunches. She cast her gaze around her, towards the trees and the single rock. “I know it isn’t much here, on our little plot, but…” She sighed and, for a moment, Brigit was worried Sepher might cry.

“Welcome home.”

 

(Chapter 3 has not yet been written. The project is, at the moment, on hold. If you have enjoyed this, let me know in the comments and I will take the project off hold periodically so I can get another update out sooner!)