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Lion Paws:** the Carpenter and the Nightingale **

Chapter One: An Unexpected Departure

_Home for sale. Lived in by a small, three person family. In excellent condition, complete with two bedrooms and one guestroom. Very spacious bathing area and living room. Modest, yet modern kitchen/dining space. Large front yard and even larger backyard. Just steps away from a lush forest. Nice and secluded, but with wonderful neighbors just down the road. All buyers welcome. Please call to schedule a visit of the premises.

Kichoro Tambo._

~-~-~-~

A river of tawny brown dust trailed behind a lumbering beast of burden as it trudged along a worn and weathered road, dutifully pulling its rider and his cart down the beaten path. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, staving off the dark storm clouds that thundered off in the distance, threatening to rain on an otherwise lovely morning. Yet, even as he was pulled along, Adon Ayele could smell the familiar scent of rain showering the far off land growing stronger. A storm was definitely moving in and he was in its path. He had been fortunate enough to have kept ahead of the downpour, but as the aroma of soaked earth grew ever pungent, he knew that he couldn't outrun it for long.

"Kya!" he barked, swatting the rump of the beast with the reigns, urging it to quicken its pace. Obediently, the animal complied and moved with a heightened sense of urgency as its master commanded. Warily, Adon cast a concerned glance towards the heavens. The day had promised to be a clear and bright one, but the impending deluge would certainly put a damper on things when its course caused it to cross paths with the young traveler and his mount. Oddly, Adon couldn't help but wonder if the approaching storm was a sign foretelling a tumultuous future. He hoped otherwise, but with his unfortunate run of luck, it was most assuredly an omen of things to come. A sigh escaped him as he continued along the worn dirt trail.

~-~-~-~

"Ja? Are you finished in the bath?"

"Almost, Mama!"

"Well, hurry up, dear. We are expecting a visitor at any moment and I want you all cleaned up by the time he arrives."

"Okay."

Morning had arrived in the Tambo household as it had for the past five years. But, unlike days gone before, this morning was decidedly different. Previously, mornings in the Tambo home meant the sweet aroma of a morning meal, the warmth of family and hearth and the feelings of safety and security felt by the strength of being sheltered by the many walls of the house that had grown to be a home. But, today...

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! came a loud rap at the door.

"Oh my..." Kichoro sighed. "He's early" the woman thought to herself as she moved to the front door. With practiced ease, she grasped the handle of the large wooden door and swung it open.

Standing on the opposite side of the entryway was the figure of a tall, sturdy young man. A lion, like herself, with short brown hair that complimented his clear amber eyes and honey-brown coat perfectly. His clothes were simple, if not shabby, but serviceable. His lean physique belayed the life of a man who worked with his hands and honed his body to work for that purpose. As far as men went, he was a handsome fellow who rather reminded her of the brave heroes from her childhood fairytales. But, life had taught her that fairytales were things to be believed by little girls and wishful dreamers. ...she was neither.

"Hello." she greeted, pleasantly. "You must be Mr. Ayele."

"I am." the man returned. "Please just call me, Adon."

"If it pleases you."

"It would." he said, curtly. "Thank you for receiving me. I...apologize for being rather dusty." he said, giving his tunic a light shake, dislodging sand and dust that lightly coated it. "Gareth and I had to ride quite quickly to outrun the storm that's fast approaching."

"Gareth?" she mused, glancing about to see the companion of whom he spoke.

"Yes, my slowtooth." Adon supplied, gesturing to the great beast that was still hitched to his modest wooden cart. The animal gave a snort as he absently pawed at the grass near his feet. His dark mane fell carelessly over his eyes giving him an almost impish look. But, Kichoro could tell from the animal's massive form and sleek muscled body that though gentle by nature, this creature was powerful and yielded the potential to be dangerous if necessary.

"I see." she breathed, still in awe of the powerful animal. "Ah, at any rate, it's quite alright." she waved, dismissing his apology into nothingness. "I was hoping you would make it before the storm hit. I'm so glad you managed to arrive safely."

Adon offered the woman the faintest hint of a smile at her concern before continuing. "Is your husband around? I have business to conduct with him."

All pleasantness escaped her, then, as she gathered her nerve to answer his query. "No, he is not. I am the one offering the house for sale."

Though surprised by her words, Adon had the courtesy not to reflect his shock, openly. "I see." he managed, calmly. "Then, shall I presume that you are, in fact, Kichoro Tambo?"

"I am." she returned, a measure of pride painting her words.

For a brief moment, he allowed himself the opportunity to gather the sum of the woman into his sight. She was small and slender with wide brown eyes and a mountain of rich ebony curls that were held in a tightly cinched ponytail at the nape of her neck. She was short, yet exuded an aura of power that one wouldn't guess a creature so demure could possess. And yet, despite all the hidden strength he could sense in her, there was an unmistakable fragility to the woman.

Her gown fit just a little too loosely in places while one too many patches worked to keep the garment held together in others. Upon closer inspection, her small form was made even smaller by her disturbingly lithe build. It was obvious that the lady before him had missed more than a few meals. He wondered if, in fact, she had--

"Mr. Adon?" Kichoro mused, tearing him from his thoughts.

"Ah! Yes. My apologies." he stammered. "Perhaps I should take a walk of the house." he suggested.

"Of course." she agreed. "Please, follow me." she added, inviting him into her home.

...at least, her home for the moment.

Inside the house, Kichoro lead Adon on a tour of the humble abode. Anxiously, his eyes surveyed the house as he was escorted through its keep. Keen amber eyes examined the floors, the walls, the ceilings and every other minute detail of his potential new dwelling. He was impressed with the clever use of space and the serviceable, yet inviting furnishings that truly transformed the ordinary house of stone into a home of warmth and comfort. But, mostly, he found himself admiring the expert craftsmanship that went into the construction of the building. More than just a sturdy foundation, the Tambo house was a structure that was clearly built to last its owner a lifetime. As it was, he couldn't imagine what would cause anyone to abandon such a fine place to live.

"And, as advertised," Kichoro said, as she entered the kitchen making a sweeping motion wither her hand, gesturing toward a large, brick oven stove, "is the kitchen. I hope you'll find it to your liking."

"In all honesty, I am not a very good cook." he confided. "I can prepare meats well enough, but I haven't the slightest idea how to bake bread, for example."

She smiled. "I would be happy to leave a recipe behind if it would help."

"I'm certain it wouldn't." he sighed. "Ah, but thank you for the offer." he added, hastily.

"Of course." she replied, pleasantly. "So, was there anything that you were curious about?"

"Well, there is one thing. Your asking price for the house is rather--"

"Is it too high?" she hedged, nervously.

A wide-eyed stare was his response.

"I can negotiate a fairer price if it's too much." she offered.

"No...no." he returned, gently massaging his brow. "Mrs. Tambo, with what you've shown me of this house, I can't imagine how you could come to part with it at the meager price you're requesting. Honestly, I expect the only reason the price could possibly be so low is that there must be something terribly wrong with the house that you're not telling me."

A surprised gasp escaped her at his blatant accusation. "I...I have hidden nothing from you." she vowed. "Truly, I haven't." she added, pausing to search her mind for anything that she may have neglected to mention. "OH!" she gasped. "There is something." she exclaimed, hurrying over to the front door. "The handle on the door is just a little loose, but it works perfectly well, otherwise."

"Umm..." Adon murmured.

"I am so sorry. I did not mean to keep that from you. I simply forgot about it since it has been like that for quite a while, now."

"That's...not really what I meant." he replied, scratching his head in mild confusion.

"Hmm?" she mused. "I can think of nothing more. The stove works like new as do the sinks. The windows let in cool breezes in the summer and keep out the cold in the winter. The roof is sturdy and has no leaks--"

"Mrs. Tambo, stop." he interrupted, holding up a hand to silence her cataloging of the house's amenities. "Ma'am, what I mean is, are there any major problems with this house that I should know about? Something that would make a person think twice about relieving you from the burden of owning this home?"

She pondered his words, silently, reviewing the features of her home in her mind before coming to the conclusion that the house was indeed sound. "No." she said, at last. "This is a good home, of that I am sure."

"Then why in the world are you letting go of this wonderful home at such a paltry sale?"

"Because," she sighed, "I need the money to ensure my son has food to feed his belly and clothes to cover his back. I...I simply cannot make ends meet anymore, it seems." she admitted, lowering her gaze.

Adon studied the woman before him with a scrutinizing gaze. Her long, lowered lashes hid her eyes from him, but could not conceal the hurt in what the words she had imparted to him meant to her. He could only imagine how painful it must have been for her to have a child, to love a child and to do all she could to care for a child she did not have the means to provide for. And yet, he couldn't help allowing his thoughts to stray to her husband. What could have happened to him that he was not contributing to the household in some way? It was, after all, a man's duty to care for the welfare of his family. His father always did and there were six mouths to feed when one included his parents, himself and his siblings. What would drive a man to abandon his family? ...unless...

"Eh!?" he gasped, feeling something or someone suddenly latched onto his tail. He spun about to see a small, mischievous boy smiling up at him with bright hazel eyes. He was grinning as he held on to the man's tail with a cheerful air of victory about him.

"I got your tail! I got your tail!" he cheered, triumphantly.

"Yes, you do." Adon replied, with reluctant amusement.

"Oh, Ja! No, my love." Kichoro chided, gently. "Let him go, dear. He doesn't know about our game."

"Oh! Sorry." he sang, heeding his mother's words and releasing Adon's tail from his hold.

"It's alright." Adon assured him. "So, you're playing a game with your mother?" he queried.

"Yup!" the child beamed. "Do you want to play, too? I can teach you."

"You can teach me?" he asked, earning an eager nod from the youth. "Well then, alright. How do I play?"

"You have to get my tail." the boy explained. "If I get your tail, you have to get my tail. I got your tail, so it's your turn, now."

"Ah, I see. Tail tag."

"Tail tag?"

"It's what my brothers used to call this game. They would try to get a hold of each other's tails whenever one wasn't paying attention."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes. They played this game all the time, no matter what they were doing or where they were. Sometimes, we would be having dinner and one of them would jump up and bolt from the table with the other one right on his heels." He chuckled, seemingly recalling a fond memory. "More dinners were turned upside down because of them than I can count. I think that's why my mother hated that game as much as she did. But, it's interesting that your mother plays with you."

Ja grinned and cast his young mother a bright smile. She returned his smile, a mix of pride and love, then beckoned him over to her. "I'm sorry about that." she said, addressing her guest. "This is my son, Ja. Ja," she said, touching her son's shoulder as he stood before her, "this is Mr. Adon Ayele."

A whisper of sadness washed over the child's face. "Oh." he mumbled. "Are you going to buy our house?" he asked of the man.

"I...was hoping to." Adon replied, an awkwardness to his voice that he found somewhat unfamiliar.

"Are you going to take good care of it, just like Mama and Papa did?"

"I certainly intend to."

"...ok." he all but whispered. Suddenly, the child spun about and buried his face in his mother's skirt, clutching her legs tightly as he sobbed pitifully into the fabric of her gown.

"Ja, darling, what's wrong?" Kichoro soothed, kneeling down to hold her child close.

"I...I don't want to go." he whimpered, woefully. "I want to stay here, Mama. I don't want to go."

It broke her heart to hear her child crying miserably before her. But, what was far worse was the knowing that she could do nothing to alleviate her son's sorrows. Her son's lament was a direct result of her inability to provide for him, adequately. As a parent, it was a shame that tore at her heart and humiliated her right down to her soul.

"Sweetheart," she cooed, "why don't you go lie down in your room and we will talk about this in a little while, okay?"

Tearfully, the boy nodded his head and scrambled to his feet, wiping his eyes with his sleeve as he made his way to his room. The soft click of the door sliding into place announced the removal of the child's presence from the room, leaving the adults alone to their thoughts.

"I...ah..." Kichoro stammered, clearing her throat before continuing, "I am very sorry about that. I...he hasn't really..."

"It's alright." Adon assured her. "It must be very hard on him." he added, thoughtfully.

"Truthfully, this is the first time he has behaved in this way. When I told him that we were moving, he just seemed to accept it. He didn't even ask, why. He just said, 'okay, Mama' and that was that. Everything was as it has always been with him until just now."

"Perhaps," Adon suggested, "the arrival of a buyer for your home has made the idea of moving less of a thought and more of a reality to him. Maybe it's only now that he's really beginning to understand what selling this home means for him."

Silently, she nodded her head conceding to his words of wisdom. "You are most likely right." she agreed, quietly. "Even so, I apologize. I...I should have better prepared him for all of this."

He thought to offer her a consoling word, to give her obviously weary soul a bit of relief. But, when the words of comfort refused to come...

"Mrs. Tambo, if there's nothing more to be seen, I should like to sign the paperwork for this house and pay you fairly for it."

A surprised look colored her face and an expression he was certain he recognized as remorse washed across her eyes for barely an instant before she smiled kindly and simply replied, "Certainly."