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If there's two things I hate, its waiting, and being rushed!-Yusuke
You learn a bit more about Ariya in this chapter.
Sorry for the wait. I'll also update Prelude to Prophecy soon. (Translation: Never)
Page Nineteen
Solla tried to get her fur to go down, but it remained bristled. "What do you want?" she hissed.
"You won't fight when my friends attack." Nurko tried to keep his voice level. He should be happy that his mission had been successful so far, but the way that queen was looking at him...
"Solla, Liyen whispered. "I've got your other kittens with me. We tried to get that one, but we weren't able to.
Solla nodded. Her little white kitten, Hayo, was the only one in danger. Rella, the tiny she-cat, Teg, the white and ginger tom, and the other tomkitten, Kazen were safe with Liyen.
"You have friends that are going to attack?" Cowa inquired, sounding more curious than scared. If they're all like this mousy cat, what's there to be afraid of?
Sarma wished the rest of the nursery's residents shared the grey tabby queen's calm. She was comforting both her own frightened kitten Indero, and the exitable young queen Malia; Liyen was trying to shield both her's and Solla's kittens from sight, her tail puffed; Dira was shooting anxious glances at the entrance, then at the far wall, and pacing around her nest, but Cowa was perched in hers, looking alert, but placid.
The tom-cat hesitated before answering Cowa's question. "Yes," and we're taking over this clowder. As long as I've got the kitten hostage, no cat in either clowder is allowed to fight us. Just let us take control."
"You're sick," Solla growled.
Nurko ignored her.
The evening turned into night. The anxious queens reluctently settled down. Exept Solla. Leaving her kittens in Liyen's care, she sat down in her nest, and glared at Nurko.
Hana woke at one point in the night with the same odd feeling in her tail that had been plagueing Koryo, Ariya, and Shira. She wondered what it was about. Nothing looked wrong. She could hear soft breathing from the hollow in which Rist and Fedrin slept.
Nothing seemed to be wrong there, so she turned to where Ariya was sleeping, and gasped softly. Ariya was stretched on her side, breathing gently. Normally when Ariya lay down to rest, she tucked her legs underneath her body, but maybe she'd been dreaming, and moving around this time.
But that wasn't what surprised Hana. What surprised her was that the medicine cat's stomach, and the inside her legs were laced with old scars. She stared for a moment before remembering something that Koryo had told her.
When Ariya was a training-kit, she'd been badly injured in a fight. While she was recovering, she became intrigued by the herbs and skills that had healed her.
A twig snapped.
Hana's ear's twitched. She was fully alert now. A hushed feline voice hissed something within three meters of where she crouched. Hana couldn't make out what was being saide, but a sudden breeze had brought the cats' scent to her. It wasn't the least bit familiar. These cats were total strangers.
The ginger she-cat hurried over to Ariya, and prodded her with her paw. "Wake up, Ri, wake up!"
'Ri' was a nickname bestowed upon the medicine cat by those who had known her since she was a kitten. Younger generations had picked it up as well, and now, she was occaisionally refered to as 'Ri' by every cat except Merra.
"Yes?" Ariya opened an eye.
"I heard something," Hana whispered.
"So did I," growled Rist, emerging from her hollow. "Voices."
Before the three she-cats could say another word, they were fighting for their lives.
 Lupine Pyrefly · Sat Oct 08, 2005 @ 05:27pm · 0 Comments |
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