The Snow Leopard Chronicles: Chapter 1- Adrian

by Alexis in

PLEASE COMMENT ON IT!!

I walked slowly through the market carefully looking at everything that I could buy. I took care in making sure that I chose the right thing because I had finally saved a silver coin and what I would buy would be my birthday gift to myself. I had rarely came thorough this part of the market so I didn't know what all was here. I thought I wanted a silver chain necklace with a charm for luck on it then decided against it. After hours of wandering I came to some what of an idea of what I wanted, a pet. Something small and easy to take care of. I looked at cats and dogs and gerbils and rats. None of them sparked my interest.
I walked away to another part of the market to get some lunch. As I was walking past the butchery I heard a faint cry. "This stupid little vermin isn't a dog! It's a pest and I'll chop it up before it will make any more of a mess!" cried the butcher. I gasped to see a wriggling little cub being pinned down to a butcher board.
"No!" I shreaked. The butcher whirled around at the inturuption.
"Who are you?" He said gruffly, still pinning down the cub.
"I'm a person who can't stand to see an innocent little cub about to be cut up!" I practicaly screamed.
"No need to yell missy. You just run along if you don't want to watch then," he replied. I looked at the cub and his eyes seemed to say "help me!"
"I'll buy him!" I said.
"You'll buy him?" he said suprised. Did I just say I'll buy him? Yes I did. "I'll pay you five coppers," I replied taking atvantage of his suprise.
"Six and you got a deal," he said regaining his composure.
"Done," I said after thinking about it for ten seconds, and with that I handed him the money and he handed me the wiggling cub. "By the way what exactly is he?"
"Two month old Snow Leopard cub," he grunted, "or as I like to say a no good, dirty rotten, trouble maker."
"Ummm...thanks?" I replied as I walked away. I held the cub to my chest and he held on with amazingly good grip as I strolled down the market.

When I got to the library I looked up snow leopards. I read several books on them while my cub dozed happily on the end of my tunic. After several hours of reading I found that they drink their mother's milk till two months old then start eating meat. "So little guy, what shall I name you?" I whispered to him. He stretched out and looked up at me with big eyes. I heard a voice in my head that said [How about Adrian.] I cocked my head to the side. "Did you say that?"
[Who else?]
"I don't know? So, Adrian?"
[Yes]
It was wierd I didn't see his mouth move but I heard his voice, or I think it's his voice, in my head. I picked Adrian up and let him latch onto me again as I walked out of the library. I went through the market with my remaining money and bought what I thought nessesary for taking care of Adrian. All the while I pondered on how I had "talked" to Adrian.
When I got home I made a makeshift nest for Adrian and fed him some lamb I'd bought. When he was done I stroked him until he fell asleep. I can't shape shift but I can communicate with him. Can I do the same with other animals? I don't know. Well, I can settle for this, no shapeshifting but communication with them, a good compramise. Though I wonder how long I'll live. Mortals live 100 years, shapeshifters 500 years, what about me? I tossed and turned these questions in my head as I slept. Finally I fell sound asleep.