The watcher's clan pt2

As the race ended with the four reos winning it and proving themselves to be capable of keeping their footing on the tree branches, there was a buzz among the Watchers, and Saikaam stepped forward. He carried himself with an air of imposing authority, his movements powerful even in a single walk.

 

"You have proven yourselves in the race, therefore you have earned your standing in our eyes. However, to be recognized by us you must also wear the garbs we all do. As a sign of kinship and respect for our ways." Saikaam said, his voice a deep rumble.

 

Cailu, Jeon-e, Mer, and Valentine exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from curiosity to hesitation. It seemed kind of out of the blue, but they would follow whatever the clans they visited said as long as it got them closer to the Matriarch.

 

"Come," Saikaam said, beckoning them with a flick of his head. He led them down some more branches, and then lower until they were close to the ground, until they realized one of them connected straight into a cave tunnel. The tunnel had been so covered in tree branches at the start that it seemed to be a root mass instead of a proper cave. At some point they veered right and entered a chamber decorated with tapestries that shimmered with threads of silver and gold, with the biggest one that served as backdrop depicting a haedian clad in flowing fabrics under a vast, star-filled sky. It seemed to be made by expert hands, with the stitching visible and perfectly aligned. To the side of the room were some containers, all full to the brim, some with fabrics and some with what seemed to be scrap silver from apart, but revealed itself as tons of bracelets and chains all twisted together to create a mess.

 

"These are where we keep our clothing," Saikaam said. "Choose what calls to you."

 

The reos approached the containers and looked in them, watching the garments with a mixture of curiosity apprehension. The clothes were nothing special, really, dark, loose fabrics designed to wrap around their torsos, adorned with intricate silver clasps and intricate accessories that incorporated gems as accent points. The necklaces and bands for their necks and legs were a mix of delicate pieces crafted artfully, or thick bands with rough details. It seemed there would be a choice for any kind of style they would want to depict.

 

Cailu stepped forward first and regarded the garments with a calm, measured gaze. These clothes would fit a haedian, since they all were haedians, so he didn't have to look too hard to choose. He selected a simple wrap, a dark orange fabric that draped over his shoulders like a cape, secured by a single silver clasp with a round green gem on it. He added a silver band around his left forepaw, its design mirroring the stars on the tapestry behind him, small and delicate.

 

"It’s functional," Cailu said, his voice even. "I can move freely enough."

 

He stretched and rotated his shoulders, stretched his wings, testing the fabric’s give and where it fitted around his body. It didn’t impede his movements, nor did it enhance them. To Cailu, the clothes were neither an asset nor a burden, just another element of the Watchers’ culture to accept and respect.

 

Jeon-e, thinking about her black fur, approached the garments with visible hesitation and selected a wrap made of the lightest fabric she could find, its texture smooth against her fur, maybe it was silk. It was dyed a deep blue to purple hue, reminiscent of a night sky, and fastened with a small silver pin shaped like a shooting star. She added a slim silver chain around her neck, though it was a bit of a pain to fit on and it felt a little constricting around her neck.

 

"I don’t know about this," she muttered, shifting uncomfortably. "It’s restrictive."  she walked in circle for a little, trying to understand if the fabric was uncomfortable, but it was not. It didn’t impede her, and it was light enough to not be felt with her thick fur, but she still frowned at the necklace situation. She would wear it, but only because it was important to show their respect and she did not think they would appreciate the lack of accessories. 

 

Mer, the youngest of the group, stepped forward with enthusiasm. He had always been attracted to clothes, since he was younger, and his eyes sparkled with wonder as he examined the garments. He chose a wrap that flowed smoothly, its fabric light. It was a light liliac, the color of his fur, and secured it with a silver clasp with an amethyst in it. He added a thin silver band around his forehead, its surface engraved with swirling patterns that were either waves or representations of wind.

 

He shook his head to check how secure it was, and found out it was still snug even if he was a vayron and the Watcher's were haedians, so it turned out their facial structure wasn't so different. "I like it, i might keep it if they'll let me"

 

Valentine was the last to approach. He stared at the garments for a long moment, his expression skeptical.

 

"I don’t see the point," he grumbled. "We’re vayrons, not humans. Why do we need clothes?" he had always had to fight allegations, with his fur color being such a feminine one, and had always tried to avoid showing interest in anything that would make someone think he was a girl.

 

Despite his complaints, he knew he could not refuse, so he finally chose a wrap in a dark red, a cape of some sort. its edges embroidered with a row of gold accents, but it was basic, nothing of the dreamy kind that the other clothes had with their starry motif. He fastened it with a large, round clasp etched with some tribal sigils of sort. He added a silver band around his neck, thick and imposing and definitely too heavy for him, but he did not back down. "I don’t like it," he said.

 

Saikaam observed them silently, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke. "We appreciate your effort to conform with our clan, despite your reclutance. They are more than clothing to us, as they are symbols of our connection to each other. You won't find many haedians clothed here, as the fabrics are often used for more useful things, but for a clan like ours, where we lurk in the shadows and observe the others before moving, clothes have become a way to identify each other at first glance."

 

Cailu nodded, finally understanding why the Watchers decided to follow this path. He had met some watcher's haedians in the past, but had never been close enough to them to ask. Jeon-e fidgeted with the clothes but nodded. Mer beamed, the fabric still rippling around him as he swayed side to side, enjoyment palpable. Valentine grunted but kept his mouth closed.

 

"Come," Saikaam said.