Land of Oz

The room was nice, she supposed. At the age of four, one did not have a very good grasp one 'nice' or 'money'. Cordelia couldn't understand an expensive well stalked room, from any old room. Oh sure, she could tell that this room was much nicer that the one she had shared with four or five other young girls her own age at the orphanage. But the actual value of things that were in the room was completely lost on the young girl.

The same thing had happened with the nice dress she was wearing. It was nicer than the warn hand me down dress that she had been brought to the house with, but she had no value of that. In fact she preferred the other dress. It was familiar, comforting. The only thing she knew in this new room was the well loved bear she and settled on the bed in front of her.

In the few days that she had been living in this odd new place, the bear was the only thing that had heard more than a few words from her. In fact, she had spoken little to nothing at all to this "aunt" of hers.

"We gunna leave Bubba," she was saying now. "We leave, and-and no one get us. Some-pace sa-"

The soft spoken words died in an instant as the door opened. Her solemn blue eyes blinking at the person who entered.

"Cordelia?" Ksenia said softly as she opened the door. She moved slowly into the room, studying the little girl that set on the bed. She shouldn't be like this. She is too young for any of this the witch keep telling herself, her gaze remaining slightly solemn as she smiled gently at the young girl. "How have you been today? Did you enjoy your lunch?" she asked as she knelt down in front of where her niece was sitting.

It was late afternoon and the Slushatel has left the school as soon as her last class was over to see her niece. It had been like this for a few days already. She would come to see the girl and try to coax words out of her.

Grabbing her bear from where she had set him, and pulling him quickly into her chest, Cordelia watched the older girl approach her, bright eyes focusing on nothing else in the room. She didn't have to, she had checked everything else already - she was the only new factor to appraise. The only thing she had yet to make a decision upon.

Slowly, after turning away to pick at the fur on top of Boris T. Wilson's head. The food had been fine, "Thank you." Manors were one thing even her distrust of everyone had not weeded out. The orphanage had been very big on manors - it often seemed that the little girl was the only one to pick them up.

She fell into silence again, glancing up at Ksenia from time to time wondering if she would leave, or continue to sit. She hoped it was the former, her and Bubba had plans to make.

Ksenia's smile brightened slightly. "Come," she said gently as she rose to her feet and offering a hand for the girl to take. "You can't stay in your room all day and I hear that they finished installing a small playground in the back yard today.

She offered the girl another smile. "Do you like playing outside?"

Cordelia looked at the hand for a long moment. Not moving, barely even blinking, she merely looked at the outstretched hand. It was exhausting to have to worry about everybody all the time. In fact it was not natural for someone so young; they usually had at least one person they could trust. Cordelia wanted a person like that, but she didn't know how she could. Mummy hadn't seemed to trust anyone, why should she?

Still, there was something about the hand, open and almost welcoming that she couldn't ignore. Slowly, she folded her own small hand in the larger one. The bear was still tightly in her arm, "Can Bubba come?"

"Of course he can," Ksenia said with a smile as she led the girl out of the room and down the corridor. The house that Cordelia resided in now was not a very big one, but it was spacious and convenient for its purposes. With four bedrooms upstairs and a number of room downstairs to allow its occupants enough space for everything that needed to be done.

They walked down the stairs, passing the maid that was stationed in the house. Ksenia only gave her a brief nod before her attention turned back to the child. "Is there something in particular that you would like to do?" she asked as they walked towards the back doors.

Something almost like a smile - nothing more than a ghost, a shadow, but still recognizable - flashed across her face, before her expression fell into her usual neutral one, and she allowed her mother's sister to lead her out of the room.

Cordelia hadn't seen much of the house on official terms, though when she was quite sure she was alone - or as alone as any responsible adult would leave a four year old - she would slip out of her room and explore for new spots she could hide her small form in.

Was there something she wanted to do? There was of course one thing she wanted, always wanted, but even the most powerful person couldn't give her that. Two years had taught her that. She wanted to go home. Not that she even knew where home was any more. The orphanage had started to feel close to home, and now she had to come here.

"No thank you," she shrugged her slim shoulders.

"No?" Ksenia raised her eyebrows slightly, a warm smile remaining on your face. She couldn't even remember the last time she gave someone that smile apart from the little girl in front of her. "Well in any case I have a surprise for you." her smile spread into a grin, her eyes still watching the child.

"Tell me, Cordelia, do you like cats?" her voice sounded mysterious as she opened the back door and ushered the girl through it. Though it was still early spring and the chill was very noticeable in the air, a magical sphere has been placed on the house surrounding it by fifty meters on all sides along with all the security spells that significantly raised the temperature of the Russian air.

"A su-pise?" the girl repeated this word in a soft, hesitant voice, sucking on her small bottom lip nervously. In her short life, Cordelia hadn't found much use for surprises, not any positive ones. A glance between the woman, and the warm outsides didn't seem to tell her anything was wrong, but she let go of her hand and took a slight step away just the same.

"Billy Piper, ised al-al, he not like kitties," she spoke softly, reciting the words that she was always told, "or doggies, we no get any pets."

Cordelia took a hesitant step to the jungle gym that was back there, appraising it with steady eyes, before glancing between it and her knew guardian. "I wanteded a kitty."

Ksenia smiled warmly at the girl as she turned back to face her, scrunching down to her level. "Did you always want a kitty? I don't have one of those, but I think I have something better for you," she informed her niece softly.

"Look over there," she said as she extended her arm to her right, directing the child's attention to the large tree and the leopard that lounged against its trunk.

Cleo was far too happy when she found out that she could find some warmth outdoors especially so soon after the birth of her first cub. The new mother payed no attention to the humans that exited the house, instead focusing on washing her offspring who was trying to sleep resting against her mother's chest.

Eyes big and curious, the young girl followed the elder's directions, turning away from her with the posture of someone expecting something to jump.

"Kitty!" For a brief moment, the first since she had gotten there, and even in a while before that, Cordelia forgot to think about all the things she had long since decided she had to worry about, and instead gave one small, completely childish reaction to what she saw before here. A grin lit up her face all for half a second, before it slipped slightly and she cocked her head to the side, "Big Kitty..." although she had no words for what kind of wild cat this was, she could see that it wasn't like a normal house cat, and her cautious mind through up hesitant walls again. "Big Kitty."

The half step she had take died there, as she the creature looked up at her. Bubba was clutched tighter to her chest, and there was a slightly worried look cutting through her eagerness as she looked back towards her aunt, "Can I pwet the big kitty?" Really, she had her eyes on the tiny one, but the big one was in her way for both.

Ksenia felt her heart warm as she finally saw some child-like behaviour from that girl. Finally she could see a carack in the walls that the child has built up around herself. She understood the nature and the need of those walls better then anyone else. But Cordelia was a four year old girl. She had others to care for her. She needed to grow up and learn and not be pushed into adult life so soon.

The Slushatel smiled as she took a few steps towards the girl and took her hands once more. "Come, we will go together," she smiled down at the girl and led her closer to her familiar. "This is Cleo. She is a leopard," the witch explained as she knelt down by the animal and smoothed her hand over its fure illiciting a pure. "And this is her little cub," she nodded her head towards the kitten.

Cleo appraised the unfamiliar child that approached with her Mistress with her deep brown eyes. The child was so small, so fragile. The large cat leaned her head forward and licked the girl's cheek with her tongue, marking the child with her approval.

Allowing her hand to be taken again, hovering behind her just slightly behind Ksenia, keeping the older girl between herself and the large cat she had yet to decide if it was safe or not.

"Lee-par-d," the young girl repeated the word slowly, stretching it out, feeling the sound on her tongue, trying to figure out how to say it, and attach this new name to the creature in front of her. "Cleo."

Her eyes were wide as she looked at the animal, hesitating towards approaching the animal further. Cordelia was, in fact, still trying to decide the safety of this act when the animal's sticky tongue came across her cheek, causing her to tense when she approached and then giggle slightly when she was done. Glancing at her aunt with one hesitant glance, then Cleo one more, then she reached out and patted her.

"Hel-lo, Cle-o," her soft voice was almost sing-song as she said this. Another hesitant glance, and then she brought her small hand to the small cat, "Hel-lo ..." she pushed with a frown, realizing her aunt hadn't given her a name for the cub, "Does kitty have a name?"

"Yes," Ksenia nodded her head in encouragement as the girl spoke. She glanced down at Cordelia briefly as she hid behind her. She had no idea how she would turn out as a parent herself, fully knowing that inner torment wanted nothing more than to drop the responsibilities of their family line on the fragile shoulders of this four year old. But another part of her, the one that has been wounded and grew stronger because of it knew that this little girl was very precious, and not just a relative. Ksenia owned it to her sister, to her whole family, to keep this girl out of harm's way. To not let what happened to her and her sister happen to Cordelia.

And so she smiled and had to stop herself from shedding tears of happiness as she saw a happy expression on the child's face. "No, the kitten doesn't have a name. Would you like to give her one?"

The look that she shot her aunt this time was almost incredulous; the curiosity it held was probing, attempting to assess whether the young woman meant it or not. After a long moment, she nodded her head slowly, ducking it slightly in the action, "Yes, puh-wease."

This was a very important decision, Cordelia knew very well, and a small frown of concentration crossed her face as she set about thinking about it. She could not give her just any old name, for she would be stuck with it forever; it had to be her name, not someone else. As she thought, she continued to stroke the tiny creature, letting out another small giggle every time the younger cat would stick out its tongue, catching her own petite finger tips with it.

"What your name, Kitty," she asked softly, after a long silence. A small frown crossed her face, and she tilted her head to the side, closer to the small animal, almost as if she was listening to the creature. After another moment like that she turned to the bear still clutched to her side with a small grin, "You like that Bubba?" Another pause to consult with the bear, then she nodded and turned to her aunt, her face as serious and solemn as she felt this naming occasion called for.

The name she had chosen, had in fact been stolen from one of the dolls one of the other girls at the orphanage had, had. But the girl hardly remembered the source of the name. When it had come to her head, as little girls are apt to do, she attributed it to the leopard she was naming itself, and did not think beyond that."

"Ebony, her name is'd Ebony."

Ksenia laughed at the expression the little girl gave her, her finger lifting up and flicking Cordelia's nose gently.

The two leopards observed the young girl, the little cub taking a playful swipe at her hand every so often, her claws not grown yet. It was very fascinated to see the tiny human, not having been acquainted with one of those before. The mother purred and sniffed the human child, getting familiar with her. She did after all belong to her Mistress.

"Ebony," the witch repeated with a soft smile. "A very nice name. Ebony is a little baby right now," she explained to her niece, looking straight at her. "She needs to stay with her mother. But in a week or two you will be able to start playing with her. Will that be fun?" she asked.

Cordelia wrinkled her noise slightly as the older flicked it, shaking her head slightly, though her little lips did curl up a bit.

Her aunt's words brought about a solemn nod from the young girl, as she continued to to play with the small kitten, pulling her hand away and giggling as she did so then putting her hand back to do it all again. "Yes."

After another moment she patted the head of the small kitty, "Bye-bye Ebony," she turned to the larger cat still hesitant for a moment before patting her too, "Bye-bye Clee-oh."

Nodding, the girl stepped back, and turned to her aunt, waiting for cue to where to go next.

"We should get back inside. It's getting late," Ksenia said softly as she straightened her legs, smoothing over her own dress. "Come along." She waited for the little girl to walk beside her before moving into the house and shutting the door behind them.

"Do you like drawing, Cordelia?" she asked the little girl as she straightened the curtains by the floor. Honestly, was there something wrong with the vision of the maid that she had hired for this house?

After that brief pause the two proceeded further into the lounge. On the low coffee table in the center of the room, where it would be comfortable for the small child to reach, lay a neat stack of paper and a set of colouring pencils.

Once again settling into silence, Cordelia followed her aunt with a quiet pace that seemed to define her, moving as quickly as her tiny gait would allow. After stepping inside, she snuggled Bubba close to her chest, she hovered just where she was, awaiting further direction. Although the urge to hid away was still striking her, she did not wish the movement to be sudden, nor noticeable. She was trapped by her aunt's wishes until she was given a moment of being unwatched.

Which would take sometime.

As the moved into the lounge though, she couldn't help but glance every so often at the papers, curiosity - even longing - in the soft gaze. She silently nodded her head at Ksenia's question, sucking on her bottom lip before slowly drifting closer and closer to the table. With one more appraising glance at the older woman, Cordelia folded herself neatly at the table. Setting, Bubba carefully on the table top, Cordelia took one sheet of paper off the stack, frowned over the pencils for a moment before solemnly selecting a green one, and began to colour along the bottom.