Ebony

—When you approach, Ebony gives you the most intent look, but you cannot figure out why.—

The first thing Ebony remembers is warm fur surrounding her, and her mother’s pink tongue grooming the top of her head. Then, a bright figure, almost too bright for her weak infant eyes, looming dangerously over her. A burning red paw grabbing her, pulling her away from her bigger, stronger siblings, and scorching her silky black fur. Her mother’s devastated but resigned expression. And most of all, the content and happy expressions on her siblings faces. The first time she experienced jealousy, at less than a month old.
———
“All these stupid lions. Can’t take care of their own cubs…” a voice muttered above her. Ebony blinked, opening her eyes to see a nimble grey figure with long, slender limbs. It leaped around her, moving unlike anything she’d seen before. To her alarm, the thing picked her up, walking over and dropping her in the hollow of a large, thick tree. Small, wriggling bodies were packed around her. It wasn’t so tight that they would suffocate, but it was uncomfortable. There were so many cubs. She growled to the other cubs to get out of her way, and clambered clumsily over to the opening of the tree hollow.
Ebony’s tiny paws scraped against rough bark as she scrambled out of the tree. She marveled at the scene. Hundreds of lions and lionesses gathered in the huge clearing. Adolescent lions tussled and played, cubs leaned close to their mothers, and lions argued and played around with shiny silver and gold insects. It was so loud and overwhelming. A little ‘caw’ caused her to look down. She leaned over the edge of the tree hollow and tumbled down onto the belly of a young raven. The crow let out a short huff of air in surprise. She sniffed the weird thing with feathers. It squawked and mumbled. Ebony rolled off of it and cocked her head. The crow cawed again.
I’m going to name you Caw. She thought, not in so many words, of course, with her limited understanding of language.
Caw? Oh come on, you can do better than that. A voice taunted inside her head. And weirdly, she could understand it. It wasn’t talking in lion, but something else… something deeper.
Fine, smarty-paws. What’s your name, then? Ebony asked the crow in her mind.
He hesitated. I’m Mirror. I gave it to myself. Just like you, Ebony. He cocked his head. It’s a nice name. Do you know what it means?
No. She said, interested. I heard old Long-Arms say it. Do you know what it means?
It’s a type of wood. Mirror explained. Ebony is very valuable to humans, especially when its black. They really seem to like it. Its tough and durable, difficult to break. Its also used to describe something that’s a beautiful color of black.
Oh. Ebony whispered, although it wasn’t much of a whisper since their entire conversation was silent. Mirror? She asked suddenly.
Hm? The crow mumbled. He cawed at a little beetle scurrying along the grass.
Can you- can we be friends? Can you stay here always?
Mirror was silent for a moment. He looked to the horizon, then back at her. He smiled, tilting his head. Of course. Always. He ruffled her fur with his beak and she mewed happily.
———
More than a month had passed at the tree, which they found to be called the Giving Tree. Small, disabled, or simply unwanted cubs were dropped off every day, and every day huge amounts of lions came to take a random cub. One day, as she was wrestling with an alarmed Mirror, the grey monkey scurried up to her and picked her off of his wing. He hopped back up immediately and cawed in distress. She growled at the monkey, batting at his long arms and showing her sharp white teeth.
“Now, now. Calm down, little lioness.” He chattered, his brown eyes twinkling. “Don’t ya want a new home?” Alarmed, Ebony just struggled more, but the monkey held on tight. As Mirror fluttered around her, cawing softly, she stopped squirming. The monkey flicked her gently on the nose and set her down in front on a huge, ash-brown lion. She looked up at his disapproving face. A long scar crossed one of his eyes, and his sharp teeth glittered menacingly.
“She’s too small.” He growled. “I said I wanted a good huntress.”
“Look, you ask for a female cub, you get a female cub. Besides, she may be small, but she’s quick and strong. You should have seen her wrestling with that raven there.” He nodded towards Mirror.
“The stupid crow doesn’t come with the deal, does it?” He sniffed.
“Well, I wouldn’t advise trying to keep them apart.” The monkey said, to Ebony and Mirror’s relief. “Now, I’m giving you a female cub, like you asked. Take her or leave her.”
Akumu snorted, pawing the ground and upsetting a few plants. “Fine. I’lll take her.” At that, he gripped her in his huge jaws and carried her away. Ebony looked back at the Giving tree. This was the second time she would leave a home. She looked at Mirror and smiled. At least this time she had a friend.