Plains of Ulrecht

This is the introduction story to the plains of ulrecht. It introduces, Plains greatcats, Feliters, and feliteras. It also introduces Lindasty and Feran.


Plains of Ulrecht

by Clay Moore


All her life Lindasty heard voices in her head. These were not the voices of her own mind given form, but the voices of the minds of her fellow villagers. They understood that she was different, but they still did not like it. Then came the odd man who wore a Plains cat skin over one shoulder as a badge of rank.
The villagers were deferential to the man. They gave him the title of Paer, which meant revered one. She saw nothing in him to make him more revered that any elder, but the fawning manner of the elders of her village made her look at the man differently. Then he caught her looking at him and their eyes locked. For a moment she was completely inside of his mind. She saw men and Plains cats fighting side by side. That brief engagement told her exactly what he was. He was a Feliter, one of a very few number of humans who could meld their minds into the minds of the great Plains Cats. This gave the ability to bond with a single cat, not as a pet, but as a partner. She wondered how it would be to have the love and affection of one of the top hunters on the plains.
The Feliter released her mind and nodded. Things were not going to the the same for her ever again.
#
Lindasty was invited into the elder's meeting room. She knew that the topic of conversation was her and her abilities. What she wanted to know was what the feliter had to do with her abilities. It was obvious that this was all for her, but she was allowed no input. It was frustrating to think that people were making decisions about her life without talking to her. So, when she entered the council room she was not in the best of moods, and that was absolutely the worst mood for her. She did nothing by halves.
She walked into the room with her nose in the air. When asked to sit, she remained standing forcing the other males to stand out of politeness with one exception. He remained seated and did not even look at her. She felt the frolic in his mind as he did the mental equivalent of a laugh. For some reason she wanted this stranger's admiration and his acceptance.
"I swear, Paer, that she is more biddable than this."
"If she were, Elder Regio, she would not be acceptable to the dens. We like candidates to have fire in their personalities, as well as demonstrated psychic abilities." He turned to Lindasty. He pointed to the chair in front of him and said, "Sit." There was no pleading, no begging; it was an order, and he expected it to be obeyed.
She never knew how he did it, but he coerced her to sit in front of him. That scared her. Trembling she found she could not look into his eyes, even when he ordered it. Instinctively she knew not to meet eyes with him.
"You're somewhat aware of you abilities, but you are sorely lacking in training. That can be dealt with. The main question is do you want to come with me?"
"For what purpose?"
"Not for what you first thought. I am a feliter, the human half of a pair bond with a Plains Greatcat."
"Really, where is he?"
"Reach out with your mind. He is not far."
She reached out with her mind following the mental advice from the feliter. As she swept the area of the village she found the spark of the minds of the other human, and then she encounter a most decidedly unhuman mental pattern. She arranged her thoughts, as instructed by the feliter. As she did this the other mentality came in clearer focus until she felt the welcoming thought from the feliter's greatcat. Then something happened that she was unprepared for. The cat's thoughts became words.
Hello, human, thought the cat.
Lindasty nearly jumped out of the chair, except the feliter was there holding her down.
"Calmly," said the Feliter repeatedly until she regained her composure. "I thought you might have the talent, but I was unsure until now. When you have a pair bond with a greatcat, you will hear their thoughts as words, but for the majority it's as if they can only tune into one mind. A very rare few can tune into another cat's mind and hear the thoughts as words."
Once she had calmed down, he settled down into his chair once more. "I am going to talk to you, rather than mentally talk to you. The shock is usually enough to block al telepathic contact for a while. I am here at the express call of the village elders. They want what's best for you, as do I. You are the only one who can make that determination, though. I am offering you the life of a feliter, bonded to one of the Plains Greatcats."
"What catch?"
"Just the bond you might have with one of the Greatcats. There's a lot of responsibility there, one that you can't just leave alone. You will be there for them and they will be there for you."
"What's the benefits?"
"You'll never be alone again. You will be stronger than you ever been, both mentally and physically. The life is hard, but you'll never go hungry again."
"Do I have to give you my answer now?"
"No, but I must return in a couple of days. It'll be kind of hard to accept when I am back at the den."
The mental temperature in the room dropped a few degrees by her non-decision. She caught a few wisps of envy and regret. She returned to her room in her family's steading. She went right to sleep.
In the night she was shown images of what the pair bond meant. She was running through the plains with her Greatcat. There was joy in the camaraderie between her and her Greatcat. Moments of joy interspersed with moments of terror and battle. Then the view subtly shifted from the human to the Greatcat. There was joy, and there was sudden enlightenment in that part of the bond. The human became more feral, while the beast became more ... intelligent. When she awoke from this dream, she knew what she had to do. The village held no more for her, but there was a place to be accept for what she was and what she could do among the dens of the feliters.
#
Arnog knew that they were coming far before they came into view. Seskel rarely came back empty handed on his gathering missions. This time was no exception. Arnog touched the mind of his Greatcat.
Timmion, be a dear and speak to Seskel, he thought.
There was a mental yawn from his Greatcat. The huge beast got up from the rock on which he was sunning himself. He turned in the direction of the approaching Seskel and sat on his haunches. Arnog felt the edges of the message that Timmion was sending to Seskel.
He comes with a female, Timmion thought back to his human brother.
He was supposed to come back with a female. How is she?
Her mind is different. She hears me.
Gars feliter, by the gods, we need another Gars Feliter.
We have a saying, said Timmion, don't count your gazelles, before you've laid claw on them.
Arnog chuckled. He climbed the rock to stand with his Greatcat while they awaited Seskel's return.
#
Normally Seskel would have ridden in, but he had one who did not have a horse. He understood that the villagers had more use for the horses, but I showed a lack of regard for the woman who walked with him and his Greatcat. He looked at the pair and smiled. It had taken a day of hard traveling for Maidee and Lindasty to come to an arrangement. They did not bond in the sense of feliter and Greatcat. They bonded as two females do when thrown together.
"There's a great number of Greatcats around," said Lindasty.
"They are here for the gathering, and for you."
"Really."
Seksel felt the residual tang of pride in her thoughts. He smiled. "It's uncommon for a woman to join our ranks. I doubt that you will starve for bed partners should you decide to do that. But, they know of your ability to talk with non-bonded Greatcats. That makes you Gars Felitera, and that makes you special."
"How uncommon are women in the Dens?"
"Felitera, or normal?"
"Either."
"Felitera number one in three among us. Normal women come to the dens of their own accord because of our stance toward them. Usually a Feliter will admit a woman to his den for the purpose of protection. There are other purposes for that as well, but you need not worry about that until eighteen. Then you might have to deal with amorous Feliters. Use your skills and they will leave you alone."
"What is all of this felitera stuff, Seskel?"
"That is the feminine for Feliter. Feliter is the word we use to indicate a brother to the cats. The word is so old that its origin is lost in the depths of time. Gars means one who can hear all. There is one word that we use to indicate a reversal. Normally female cats bond with human females. Sometimes females cats bond with human males. Sometimes a male Greatcat bonds with a human female. When that happens ara is added to the title. My full titles are Gars ara feliter. Again the word is so old that we don't have the full language. It may be that we are so mispronouncing the word that there is little chance for us to discover it in any ancient texts."
He shifted to mental communication when they came close to Arnog. This is Arnog, a sostal. He ranges the plains hunting and looking. Some could call him a scout, but the old title fits him.
What is your job title? She asked him.
Premat, means teacher and master.
Why are we talking with our mind.
Amazingly, communication between two telepaths is hard to listen to unless you are Gars. Arnog takes too much upon himself. He is also a cassandra in that he sees conspiracies in everything the King does.
Lindasty found that she could chuckle in her mind, and she did so keeping her face as blank as possible. The trek with Seskel was as much training in the telepathy side of things, as a means to get to this den. This den was as he described it. A sinkhole slump revealed a series of ten in all. The horseshoe shaped depression held a central court of sorts. In this court were five buildings and a central area for a bon fire. There were also six large drums.
They were heading for the central courtyard where the Feliters and Felitera were gathering to welcome the new candidate. Seskel was welcomed by everyone, and Maidee was scratched in all of her itchy places by very willing hands. She opened her mouth which was the Greatcat version of a happy grin. She flopped to the ground to let the people get to all of the places that she like to be scratched. Then the people noticed her and welcomed her as a long time relative.
#
A Month after returning with Lindasty found her without a bond mate among the young cubs in the Den, Seskel was despairing. She could hear them, but none of them could meet the level required for bonding with her. Seskel knew that if she did not find a bond mate soon enough, she might be rejected by the Den, and that would sign her death warrant. As a powerful telepath she would not find solace with the normal humans. Then something happened this day that had not happened in a long time for Seskel. He was awakened by the Den Leader.
A mother and cub are coming into the Den, Seskel. I want you to meet them. I think it's Red Tip.
Red Tip was a legend among the Feliters she was the only Greatcat to reject the bond with her human partner. Seskel knew that man personally who bonded with her, and he understood her reluctance to allow him such intimate contact. When she rejected the bond, she went out into the wild. As a female Greatcat, her ability to bond with humans was passed to her progeny. Red Tip was far out of her range if she was bringing in a cub to this den.
He rolled out of his bedroll. His woman groaned at being awakened so early. He slipped into a leather kilt and shoes. He also belted on the well worn weapon belt. He scanned the horizon and felt Red Tip's mind. He walked in that direction. He was about fifty yards outside of the horseshoe when he spotted the reason for her name. He saw the tawny fur on the tail that ended in a bright red tuft. He stopped and sent out a query.
I greet Red Tip. It has been a long time.
I greet Seskel, and it has been a long time
Why have you come?
I have this cub. I heard that you had one as yet unpaired.
It was getting toward the end of the season and we despaired of her.
Bring her forward. If she is as powerful in her mind as some have mentioned, then she might be a match for my son.
Ara, then?
Ara.
Seskel directed a thought toward the Den Leader. Bring Lindasty.
Lindasty knew that when they called her they wanted her to come and see a new cub. She almost rebelled against the call. It would only end in pain for her. Yet there lurked that little bit of hop that this might be the Greatcat for her. He walked out of the barracks where the candidates where held until bonded. It was getting lonely in there for her. She walked toward where they were holding the meeting with the Greatcat. As she approached she saw that it was a Mother and cub pair.
Lindasty sent a greeting to the Mother Greatcat. Then she fixed on the cub. Suddenly her mind meshed with the cubs mind. The cub charged into her knocking her to the ground. There was a lot of affectionate nuzzling and purring. Lindasty did not even know that she was on the ground. She was exploring the mind of the sixty pound bundle of fur that suddenly became the cornerstone of her life. Without knowing what was happening she was affecting the cat's mentality giving the male cub intelligence.
Lindasty? Lindasty come back to us. You have done all you can.
Hmmm, this was the Mother, she will make a great pair for my son. He is the son of the cat lord.
Seskel watched Red Tip. She roared at her son, who turned from Lindasty long enough to see his mother trot away from the feliter den. There was no grief in the parting. The cub let out the smallest meow, but then Lindasty hugged him and all was right in the world.
"What is his name?" asked Seskel.
"Feran."
"Let's see about getting something into Feran's belly."
Lindasty stood up and walked after Seskel. The cub followed her. Lindasty felt heart full, as she had never felt before. The missing part of her life had come. Now the hard part of the training began.