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Sorry for the wait, but I've been plagued by writers' block. (Writer's block is evil! Writer's block must die!) And Gaia's been slow and annoying lately.
Ah, well. Stupid Grunnies ruined the Halloween party.
Commenters:
KenoDemonic: Which poor cat? I can think of a lot of poor cats right now. And don't worry. Nekan will have his time to shine soon enough.
Page Twenty-one
Fedrin's cry woke all cats from both clowders. Those who woke earlier raced toward the source of the noise. Those who woke later followed their friends.
A small amount of cats didn't run to the scene. The queens were still held captive in the nursery.
"That wouldnt' have anything to do with your 'friends,' would it?" inquired Liyen.
Nurko didn't answer, not being entirely sure.
Koryo and Willo had decided that whatever it was, the others would see to it and it was nothing to lose sleep over.
Shira was struggling with her nest. Whenever something jolted the little white warrior from sleep, she became tangled in her bedding, and normally took at least five minutes to free herself.
As Nekan had started towards the sound, he stopped, and realized that no cat had emerged from the nursery. The silver tabby quickly moved to the side of the camp, and crept toward the nursery. As he got closer, he noticed that no voices were heard.
Oddity number two, he silently mused. Queens were normally very talkative, and while he could understand why they wouldn't want to leave their kittens, they should at least be discussing the cry, and where they thought it had come from.
He stopped suddenly. Something was wrong, that much was obvious; going into the nursery might make things worse. He stood there for a few more seconds, then continued. What they can't see can't hurt me.
Oneric shouldered his way through the crowd of cats, noting the crowd, noting the horrified looks of the ones near the front. That can't be good. But he was totally unprepaired for the realization of what had taken place.
"Rist..." The ginger and white cat had never been lost for words in his life, but now all he could do was stare.
"Ariya, what happened?" Merra demanded, pushing her own way through.
The red-pointed medicine cat took a deep breath and began. "Rist Hana and I were attacked. These three came to help, but Rist had already been killed."
She nodded to Jurasen, Lota, and Kerro, just catching the grateful look in Lota's eyes for not mentioning what Kerro had really come to do.
"Who attacked you?" Oneric asked in an uncharacteristically shaky voice.
"Two cats, sent--" Ariya wasn't sure how to tell this leader that his second had been plotting against him.
"Well?" Merra demanded.
Jurasen opened his mouth to tell them, but the black and white traitor himself strolled in from the hole in the wall.
"I sent them." Sydraz purred. "You can't lead, Oneric, face it."
One cat growled softly.
Sydraz turned in the direction of the noise. "Whoever that was can stow it," he answered. "No cat is resisting."
"Why shouldn't we?" Azenek growled.
The larger second flicked his tail lazily. "I'll show you," he purred again. "You, Oneric and Merra come with me. I've stationed cats around this place, so the rest of you aren't going anywhere until we get back."
The cats parted to let them through, though most looked like Azenek: downright furious. Merra appeared angry, but controlled. Oneric's expression was unrecognizable.
"You see?" the black-and-white gestured toward Nurko and his hostage upon entering the nursery. "He could kill that kitten any time he wanted to. If you try to fight us, he will."
Nurko beamed.
"'Us?'" Oneric asked.
Sydraz sat down, licked one paw, and answered. "Didn't you hear me before? I have cats stationed all around this camp."
The unexpected happened: If any of the cats present had been present when the medicine cats attacked, they would have recognized the the tom and she-cat that crashed through the vines at that moment as the two 'thugs.'
The surprise from this caused Nuko to jump with surprise, and without thinking, slashed his claws across Hayo's neck. The tiny kitten gave a pitiful gurgling mew, and was still.
Cowa's eyes widened, Malia looked postively petrified, and Solla seemed to be unsure wheather it had really happened. The white cat blinked thrice, then began to unsheathe and resheathe her claws in an erratic pattern.
"Now you've done it," growled the she-cat to the tom. "You said we should attack now, when they weren't looking."
"You didn't have to listen to me," her partner hissed back.
"Shut up, both of you!" Sydraz snarled, brandishing his claws. Overhead, a crow called.
Merra drew herself up, and tried not to show emotion. "Well, you don't have a hostage."
Sydraz looked mildly amused. "I don't? You probably didn't notice, but three of your warriors never left their den. I have it guarded now; no resisting, or you know what happens."
"Guards? That brown idiot and his three friends?" Koryo purred as he appeared. Behind him where a white she-cat, and a black one.
"How weak do you think we are?" Willo smirked.
Suddenly, there was hiss, and a yowl. Another one of Sydraz's warriors had become impatiant, and sprang from the brambles at Merra, only to be intercepted by a streak of silver. Nekan wrestled with the cat for a moment, then Sydraz smacked his minion with his paw, and jerked him away. Nekan got to his paws as well.
"The area around here is crawling with them. I've checked, and barely got away without being seen," the tabby warrior reported.
Sydraz looked shaken, but quickly recovered. "You'll still have to fight," he warned. "Your warriors could be killed."
Oneric looked thoughtful, but Merra's mind was made up. Her clowder was her own, and if this creature would hold kittens hostage and send his warriors to kill medicine cats, the measure of his character was obvious.
The grey and white she-cat wasn't that much bigger than most, but there was something to her that Koryo had noticed when she was a kitten, it had gotten more noticable as she grew older, and when she was appointed second, and later leader, it was unmistakable . Merra a cat with authority, and it showed. She seemed to grow larger as she approached Sydraz, and two words ended the 'peace conference.'
"We fight."
Won't kill any more kittens, I promise.
And remember! I want opinions! 3nodding
 Lupine Pyrefly · Mon Oct 31, 2005 @ 11:34pm · 0 Comments |
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