Azura jumped at the raspy sound of the voice. She had lived alone so long that she had almost forgotten the sound. A smile lit up her face as she put her hands on either side of the cat’s bloody muzzle and pressed a kiss on his feline mouth.<br/><br/>“You were successful with your hunt!” she said in mind speak, her eyes aglow with excitement.<br/><br/>Azura came from a people who spoke in sign language and a few selected words of warning. She had learned the way of the Others of using verbal language but with the days of being alone, she had put that skill in the back of her mind. As shaman, she had learned to read minds and to speak to minds and that is a skill that she kept honed.<br/><br/>With great ceremony, she sat cross legged in front of the tiger, and bowed her head as a good woman of the Clan would do to show respect to a man, a hunt leader. With the words of the Others, in verbal language, she said,<br/><br/><br/><br/>“This woman would honor you, Hunt Leader, first among those who sustain life. This woman would express her gratitude for her life at your, ahem, paws. A comfortable space has been prepared for you and every need that can be provided will be done for you.”<br/><br/>She looked up at him with tears in her eyes and smiled.<br/><br/>“This woman has prepared a meal for you and will go to prepare the meat and hide from this worthy kill.”