"Miu?" Ava smiled. Why would he name the tiger Miu? Was it like the brand? She wondered.
"He said Miu when we met," Matthew uttered.
"Are you sure it’s not Meow?" Do Tigers meow? No. They growl! Why would a tiger say Meow?
Astonished, she stared at the tiger as it slowly approached them. She expected the tiger to run towards Matthew and maybe gave him a hug where he would pet it— just like a normal reunion of a human and its pet.
However, nothing like that happened.
Instead, the tiger took its time. And just as it was about three feet away from Matthew, it bowed. It kissed the ground before calmly sitting down with its head still lowered to the ground.
Ava took a step back but Matthew held her hand, preventing her from moving away.
"She’s kissing the ground because of you..." Matthew said. "Right Miu?"
"Why would— "
"Shhhh..." Matthew then looked around. "Listen— "
Listen to what?
Ava looked around as a soft breeze surrounded them. Then in front of her eyes, dead leaves danced along with the wind. There was a swoosh. She looked to her left and realized that not just the leaves in front of them but even the ones behind them were floating in the air, dancing as if greeting her.
She swallowed, confused.
What is happening here?
"Would you like to dance?"
She Matthew’s voice from behind her. She turned and looked at him.
"Here?"
He held his right hand in response.
But there was no... music?
For some reason, the assurance that his smile brought softened her heart. She put her hand on top of his and let him hold her.
Then the two of them started dancing in the middle of the floating leaves, next to a sitting white tiger named Miu.
"Close your eyes..." Matthew said. "And listen..." Matthew added.
Ava complied. She let the man guide her as she filled herself with the sound of nature. Something inside her reverberated with joy and excitement. Then slowly... just slowly... she heard it.
It was a piece of soft music.
It was of that of a guqin or a zither? She wasn’t sure but she knew she had heard of that sound before. But it was soft, dramatic, and quiet. Yet it felt sad. It felt like... it had been there all along, waiting for someone.
"Relax..." he heard him say. And she did.
She slowly let her fears go.
Almost instantaneously, her senses seemed to combine with the nature around them.
She could feel... everything!
She could hear the sound of the winter howling as it slowly gained momentum, the once crisp the fall was there accompanied by the insects and birds that have started to prepare for the next season.
She could smell the wet leaves and mud, the smell of dead roots, and some animals.
The could hear some footsteps of animals that she couldn’t recognize. A squirrel scurrying up to a tree, the birds endless chirping, and... an upcoming storm.
The sound of thunder and rain.
Ava then started to feel Matthew’s warmth. His hands were firmly rested on her lower back as she folded hers around his neck. His footsteps were light yet recognizable. And his smell...
It was of that of musk and burst of freshness, lemon and jasmine with a touch of oak moss.
Then the music suddenly stopped.
She immediately opened her eyes as Matthew also stopped moving.
"What— "
"You look beautiful," Matthew said. "Did someone tell you how beautiful your eyes are? Cadmium green with a hint of lime and lawn. Like the very forest itself."
Ava swallowed her nonexistent saliva. She had heard people compliment her eyes in the past. After all, green wasn’t a very common color. She had thought her eye color with forest green.
Cadmium?
She had never heard of that before.
Still, no one has ever complimented her like this in the past.
"Thank you," she said as she wondered if she should compliment his eyes too. His eyes were even more beautiful than hers. But doing that now would only feel like she’s doing it to thank him.
"Miu..." Matthew looked at the tiger. "Come here... let her touch you."
To Ava’s surprise, the tiger actually complied. It approached Ava and lowered its head, letting her touch it.
So she did.
Ava couldn’t stop herself from smiling as she felt the tiger’s fur.
"How long has it been since you last saw each other?" she asked.
"Long enough..."
"How old is he?" she asked.
"Old enough..."
Ava lifted her gaze and looked at Matthew. Sometimes, she didn’t know if he was intentionally acting like this or... he just didn’t want to tell her any relevant information.
As if sensing her thoughts he said, "About fifteen... should be older than that."
"I thought they only have ten years to live?"
"Not white tigers and... Baba did something to make him safer, invisible to the humans and shifters."
Ava nodded.
Without saying anything, she waved her hand, her magick wrapped around the tiger’s body before it vanished into thin air.
She just made sure Miu was healthy and would live for another ten or twenty years.
"Thank you..." Matthew said.
Ava looked at Matthew and smiled.
It was the only thing she could do for the animal.
After a few more minutes, the two decided to walk even further, deeper into the woods. This time, Miu accompanied them.
Not one of them spoke as they enjoyed the company of nature.
Then Matthew brought her to the cliffs and beach that honestly looked so beautiful, to the point of being otherwordly.
Does that even made sense?
Of course, it doesn’t. But this space had been protected by Baba’s magick. It was only logical for it to be safe from both humans and nature’s wrath.
Just as they were about to arrive at the cabin, Matthew stopped walking. Then his face turned darker.
A swish of wind made its presence as Matthew inhaled. Then he frowned.
"We have company..." he said. "An unwelcome one."
....
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