Biography

[center][=10]Born in mid-summer, Shiisa's birth was late in the year. The night she took her first breath of air was filled with bad omens. The forest was swallowed by thick darkness as a lunar eclipse stole the night away. Large, black crows crowded the trees that circled her mother's den and a pack of distant wolves howled far beyond the mountain ridges. Her family's herd was greatly concerned with her birth; many had come to believe she was cursed for she was born with a defect.

She was premature, causing her to be weak and crippled during her first few days of live. The young fawn laid almost motionless by her mother's side in order to gain enough strength to stand. Her figure was small and her legs shook beneath her despite her light weight. She ate very little and often complained of feeling ill. Days passed and the truth behind her curse was revealed. Shiisa had been born with an unknown disease. The herd elders searched the stars, asked their ancestors for guidance, and begged the owls for wisdom. However, none knew what her illness could be nor did even the most intelligent of creatures know why the gods choose to let such an innocent soul be born with such a burden and be asked to live a life of suffering. What they did discover is that the disease would eventually claim her life. The questioned remained though: When?

Shiisa's eyes continued to sparkle though as her sweetness brewed within her weakened body. It brought her parents hope; perhaps she could be saved.