A visit and its memories I
A fierce lion businessman is visited by a unexpected face
The old woman turned and smiled at the newcomer standing in the doorway...no, rather, familiar faces turned by time. One of handsome and scarred features and the other wizened and bright with experienced life and a beauty that masked the weathering of time.
The two looked at each other as if experiencing long forgotten feelings but couldn't quite expose at the given time. The lioness's violet eyes looking into the younger and more proud-bodied lion's exotic colors of violet and gold. "You've grown so much...you look almost like your father, well your brother of course always favored him more." She said with a silk and tempered voice before chuckling abit, "You have your mother's eyes though.
The lion couldn't move his frozen legs, mouth slightly open as if to speak but felt no vocal cords. Eyes gleaming like jewels in the brillance of rain. He looked at the woman in her simple azure dress, her elegant figure fit well in it, humble with a bronze snake bracelet around her left arm and a golden necklace...the circular medallion sitting on her bosom and seemed to be missing a jewel, but she didn't seem to care or mind.
Life returned to at least his arm as it reached up and grabbed at his own medallion, a scarlet stone sitting between three circling dragons.
Seeing this, the woman continued her soft smile, the corner of her mouth lifting just slightly. "You took good care of the Family blood." She said and the lion slowly closed his eyes, swallowing collected spit as it cleared his suddenly uncomfortably dry throat.
***
_"Artashir dear," That voice called him from across the hall and the young eleven-year-old cub turned around to see the woman standing with angelic elegance and eyes, her soft smile greeting his sight. Wearing a scarlet dress that hid everything but her head and paws, he would have thought that they lived in the age of castles and knights, but that was her way of dressing, to keep at least the elegance alive in a time of cars and powerful business instead of the absolute loyalty of the King and his nation. _
_ Running to his mother in a dress shirt and shorts, never having a need of footwear due to his digitigraded feet, the cub smiled and bowed respectfully, feeling the wind brush his small tuft of a growing black mane. Accepting this with a gentle rub of his head, Mother nodded, "Come with me, your father is having business with his partners and I will like you to see the process." His eyes widened in surprise and awe, he held his breath, "Do you think he won't mind?" He asked, hiding the squeek of hope. _
_ "As long as you are quiet and good." She whispered with a finger on her lips and wink. Flicking his tail, Artashir put his own index finger on his lips in understanding. Approving, she gently patted her son's back and guided him through rarely ventured halls, and up the stairs of the ancient home of their Edwinish ancestors, they found a shaded courtyard with a long table set, fit for twelve members and their one unequal, Isiarll Badr Patius. The large bi-maned lion looked at his barwn, a red-haired otter who simply twirled his pen between his fingers and his olive-green eyes glancing slightly at the bosses of their carefully chosen businesses, different species and nationalities. All under the Edwinish Viscount's thumb and power. _
_ Just then, Badr's red eyes looked over at his wife and child for a slit second, standing in the shadows of the hall, and gave a phantom of a smile. Blinking, he straightened up more and proceeded to speak to his underlings, demanding of their progress. One at a time, they answered, a few with noticeable accents. Artashir recognized Domus from the red-suited fox, Yamahese from the snow leopardess in a silk uniform and small glasses, Kahunian from the dull-colored king cobra, and even the giant polar bear's rough accent common in the Artic Islands. All with quiet respect to his father, who gave a solemn nod to the productive news that he recieved until the seventh member, a bristle-furred rat with beady eyes and a nervous twitch, spoke something about at a shipment was blown up in an accident. Art felt a a cool change in the air, as if the summer air was replaced by a chill breeze of very early winter. Moving closer to his mother, he watched as his father gave a unpleased twitch of his mouth._
_ The rat was needless to say very nervous now, abit pitiful to watch too. He refused to look the man in the eye as he twiddled his clawed fingers and none of the others looked in his direction, even the scarred great dane seemed to angle his head abit to avoid the awkward look. Badr asked how did that happen. The rat flattened his ears and tried to speak up. Even Artashir knew this was very bad, his father hated timidness. _
_ The lion brought a paw forward on the table and tapped a long knife-like claw on the white sheet. Speaking out the rat's name as Bernado, he let out a rumbling noise, and asked again. The rat finally answered that he thinks it was sabotage from one of the gangs. Closing his eyes as if to hide the shame, Bernado tried to control his shaking hands, finishing that he will do what he can to replace the lost shipment in double. _
_ Bardr narrowed a eye and slowly nodded, before suddenly flicking his wrist. The rat jerked his head back and covered his nose tight. Some people blinked at the sudden movement from the rat, clearly didn't see the lion's arm movement. Soon, blood started to flow from Bernado's nose and between his fingers, and he grabbed a handkerchief to cover it. _
_ Satisfied, the Isiarll looked to next person in line to report and it continued as if Bernado's didn't matter. When the last man spoke, the lion tapped his finger again before taking a glass of fine red wine and sipped it. Then he told each of them a order; either to increase production or activity or...decrease it and some other inaudible assignment that Art couldn't quite hear. They all nodded, except for Bernado who was skipped. _
_ Then Badr's eyes was on the rat, glaring at him before speaking, "I want triple the shipment in three weeks." He said, holding his fingers up, "And the responsible gang leader's head, comprende?" The rat slowly moved his handkerchief to reveal a deep bloody scar over his nose, "Si, senor." He answered with a lower of his eyes and nod._
_ "Good, do not disappoint me again, Benardo. You are a capable man and I don't like to see your honor tanished by inconveniences." Badr said with a rare kindness and the rat smiled abit to this, "I won't let you down." Nodding, he stood up and moved his glass to a nearby butler, who poured another glass full before lifting the wine up. "A toast to another good year." He said and the others rose their glasses, the Baron replied, "Aye." _
_ As they took a sip, Art was abit surprised, maybe he must have missed the rest of the meeting but it didn't matter, he saw his father in business and it was a good experience. This first moment stay with him forever._
***
Artashir opened his eyes and looked at his mother, who moved a paw over toward a parlor piano, "Come on over, my dear. Take a seat and play for your old mother, it have been ages since I last heard your music." She invited and when his legs moved on their own. Walking over to the piano, he took a careful seat and looked at the white keys, in comparison to the ebony piano. Testing the keys, he inhaled sharply, and gently put his paws up.
"Play our favorite, dearest. My ears have been yearning for that particular piece for ages." She requested. Nodding he started to play softly, his large fingers are actually more dexterious than they seem, from years of practice, toes on the pedals. Then he started to play Raindrop Prelude, the music already made his fingers go along naturally, soft and simple like actual rain in spring. His face felt wet and eyes stung abit before he continued to play for his mother and himself.