Post by phantomstar57 on Sept 6, 2016 13:08:59 GMT -5
Phantomstar's & ♪♥♫◦°°Razz°°◦♫♥♪'s
CURSE Marathon page
CURSE Marathon page
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My rendition of Shadowface!
GREAT NEWS!
RAZZ and I have a tale going which involves Shadowface!
We are working now to finish the tale I rescued off the old WWF boards.
I write Kyestorm's pov and Razz does Lizzie's!
The Premise: Kyestorm as an elder warrior captured by two-legs and taken far from clan lands. she meets Lizzie who helps her escape so she can go home. They meet Shadowface of Mountain Clan, who decides to help, and the treacherous journey home begins.
Though originally meant to be a short tale, it may turn quite long!
LOST - A NEW BLOOD / CURSE Short Tale.
By RAZZ & Phantomstar!
My rendition of Shadowface!
GREAT NEWS!
RAZZ and I have a tale going which involves Shadowface!
We are working now to finish the tale I rescued off the old WWF boards.
I write Kyestorm's pov and Razz does Lizzie's!
The Premise: Kyestorm as an elder warrior captured by two-legs and taken far from clan lands. she meets Lizzie who helps her escape so she can go home. They meet Shadowface of Mountain Clan, who decides to help, and the treacherous journey home begins.
Though originally meant to be a short tale, it may turn quite long!
LOST - A NEW BLOOD / CURSE Short Tale.
By RAZZ & Phantomstar!
KYESTORM
Kyestorm gazed out the window to the northeast, where her distant home lay. Her mate, kits, kin, and Clans seemed so utterly far away. Though she appreciated the comforts of two-leg life, warm bed, constant food, and protection from the elements, she longed for her Clan life. She wondered about her mate, Demonstone, and of course, her largest son, Phantomstar, who now lead ThunderClan.
The enormous old red tabby Maine Coon elder shifted her weight on the window perch, pressing her nose to the crack in the sill, sniffing the cold air. She heaved a huge sigh of embarrassment, remembering how she let her guard down while hunting and a pair of two-legs startled her on the lake shore. They swooped her up in a fishy-smelling net, and carried her away. She fought the net, struggling to claw free of it, but it twisted and tightened around her until she exhausted herself. The last she saw of her clanmates, they swarmed around the lakeshore, calling to her, staying out of reach and sight of her captors. The total astonished terror on Demonstone's face seared into her memory, as Phantomstar cried, “Kyemama! We’ll find you!”
The two-legs took her to a place full of other strange cats, where her current housefolk adopted her, taking her to this cozy cottage, but Kyestorm thought only about the life she lost. She yearned to escape and find her way home, but how? Her old joints creaked, paining her on cold nights, and she knew her age put her at a disadvantage. She pressed her face to the glass, her heart twisting with homesickenss, and her stomach clenched with despair. Too much distance separated her from her loved ones.
"Demonstone, I miss you! Phantomstar, I wish you could find me, but I know you and your sisters can't leave your leader duties." Kyestorm uttered a sad keen. "I just want to come home. Oh StarClan, please let me go home!"
"But, you are home," a soft meow interrupted her pining, and she turned to face a very pretty young tortoiseshell short-haired she-cat, who regarded her with sharp green eyes. Kyestorm gazed at her new hosuemate, then sagged against the window.
"Lizzie," Kyestorm lay down on the perch, and mewled like a kit. "I know and I'm grateful for you and your generous hosuefolk, but, I'm not home. My mate, my kits, my family, are out there. I miss them all so much I can barely stand it."
“I see that,” Lizzie walked over to the window. “It’s so cold out there now. You’d die trying to get home.”
“We Maine Coons can handle the cold,” Kyestorm murmured, looking back out the window at the darkening sky. “I don’t know how to get out of here.”
“Our housefolk are afraid you’ll run away.” Lizzie explained. “They know you’re a Maine Coon, a special cat. They only want you to be happy here. Like I do.”
“They’re right. I would run at the first chance,” Kyestorm muttered, a growl rumbling in her chest, before she uttered a sad querulous cry. “My son is leader! Two of my daughters lead other Clans, and the third is deputy to her mate of the fourth Clan. The Clans prosper. Things are so good around the lake now. I wanted to live out my elder days with my beloved mate, being fussed over and loved by everyone. Now I’ll die far from home. Away from Demonstone.”
“Don’t you like me? Don’t you consider me a friend?” Lizzie asked, her eyes wide with disappointment.
“Yes, I do,” Kyestorm answered, a short purr rattling her voice. “I like you a lot, and your housefolk have been kind, reminding me of my original housefolk from suncycles ago, but, my heart belongs with the Clan that saved my life and the lives of my kits and mate so long ago.I love them all, and my heart breaks that they think I may be lost to them and they lost to me forever.”
“There are Clan cats around here, a little ways in the mountains,” Lizzie said, flicking an ear thoughtfully. “Maybe they can help you?”
“How? I can’t get out of here,” Kyestorm lamented.
LIZZIE
Lizzie sat on the arm of the plush red couch in the living room, studying the russet red tabby she-cat sitting on the windowsill. The red queen was easily twice her size, and had paws the size of her head. Well, maybe not quite that large, but, let's face it, Lizzie tended to exaggerate at times.
The red queen seemed upset, her head low, eyes tapered at the ends and tail hanging, limp, off the windowsill. The tip of the beautiful cats tail twitched methodically every few moments.
Lizzie remembered the day that Kyestorm, the red Maine Coon, had arrived at her home, seemingly elderly and frail. Within moments of her release, however, Kyestorm snarled and clawed at both Lizzie's humans and her.
This confused Lizzie. Why was Kyestorm so angry at being rescued? She was very likely to be caught and killed by something monstrous in the forest where Lizzie's humans had vacationed, something like a fox or badger. It wasn't like Kyestorm was a young cat. Illness was also a great factor of wilderness living, and Kyestorm was just too old to fend off sickness.
"Demonstone, I miss you! Phantomstar, I wish you could find me, but I know you and your sisters can't leave your leader duties! I just want to come home. Oh StarClan, please let me go home!"
A mournful keen from Kyestorm made Lizzie kick out of her thoughts.
"But you are home." Lizzie spoke to Kyestorm gently, her voice rippling with confusion and uncertainty. Was she doing something wrong?
"Lizzie, I know and I'm grateful for you and your generous hosuefolk, but, I'm not home. My mate, my kits, my family, are out there. I miss them all so much I can barely stand it."
Kyestorm mewled like a kitten, and Lizzie watched as she laid down on the windowsill, resting her head dramatically against the pane of glass separating them from the world outside.
"I see that." Lizzie said it carefully this time, jumping gracefully from the arm of the couch and approaching the windowsill where Kyestorm sat. She sat below it, and then lunged up onto the windowsill beside the one the red queen was resting against. "But it's so cold out there now. You'd die trying to get home."
"We Maine Coons can handle the cold." Kyestorm's voice was cold as she turned her head to gaze out the window at the quickly darkening sky. "I don't know how to get out of here."
Lizzie sighed, turning her emerald green eyes to the white painted wood of her perch. “Our housefolk are afraid you’ll run away.” She explained, “They know you’re a Maine Coon, a special cat. They only want you to be happy here. Like I do.”
“They’re right. I would run at the first chance,” Kyestorm muttered, a growl rumbling in her chest, before she uttered a sad querulous cry. “My son is leader! Two of my daughters lead other Clans, and the third is deputy to her mate of the fourth Clan. The Clans prosper. Things are so good around the lake now. I wanted to live out my elder days with my beloved mate, being fussed over and loved by everyone. Now I’ll die far from home. Away from Demonstone.”
Lizzie watched the ailing queen with misery, a spark of hurt kindling in her chest.
"Don't you like me? Don't you consider me a friend?"
Lizzie's eyes read her disappointment, and her lips curved downwards into a frown. Lizzie had spent a good portion of her time attempting to befriend the red queen.
“Yes, I do,” Kyestorm answered, a short purr rattling her voice. “I like you a lot, and your housefolk have been kind, reminding me of my original housefolk from suncycles ago, but, my heart belongs with the Clan that saved my life and the lives of my kits and mate so long ago. I love them all, and my heart breaks that they think I may be lost to them and they lost to me forever.”
Lizzie felt hope take flight in her heart as she remembered something that might help the red queen. "There are clan cats around here, a little ways into the mountains. Maybe they could help you." One of her ears flicked thoughtfully as she began formulating a plan.
"How? I can't get out of here." Kyestorm's complaining made Lizzie roll her eyes.
"I may just have a way. Let me think a moment, Kyestorm."
After a moment, Lizzie's face tipped upwards into a mischievous grin. "A helpful friend taught me this trick at one point." With a soft grunt, Lizzie leaped off of the windowsill, and ran for the door locking them into the living room while her humans slept.
With a soft growl, she lunged upwards, hooking a paw around the circular doorknob. She tipped her body backwards hard, her paw around the doorknob turning it slowly.
But it wasn't quite enough.
She fell to the hard wood with a louder growl.
KYESTORM
Kyestorm watched Lizzie, curiosity burning in her heart, staving off another wave of homesickness. Old memories flittered around in her head, as she watched her new friend. Lizzie rose to her feet, and with determination, jumped at the doorknob, and held on. Her paws slipped on the smooth brass, but Kyestorm eyed the knob as it turned. She leaped off of the window perch, hurrying over to Lizzie, as the old mischievous feelings rose up from the depths of her mind. She remembered opening doors out into her housefolk’s gardens many seasoncycles ago.
“I can help!” she meowed, hope flashing though her. Kyestorm reared up beside Lizzie and pressed her massive paws on the slippery knob. She grasped it with her long toes.
“Climb my back!” Kyestorm called out. “Get a good grip from there. Don’t worry if you accidentally scratch me.”
“This is crazy,” Lizzie muttered, but jumped up on the Maine Coon queens’s back. Grasping her with strong hind legs, she reached out, her chest resting on Kyestome’s ample shoulders, and placed her paws on the knob.
“Turn now, while I have a good grip!” Kyestorm yowled. Together they worked the slick metal handle, and it turned. But the door remained closed. Kyestorm felt her grip slip.
“Why won’t it open?” she cried.
“Pull back!” Lizzie meowed, and leaped sideways off Kyestorm’s back. “You have to pull back!”
With Lizzie clear of her, Kyestorm shifted her weight, and her hindpaws slipped out from under her. She clutched the doorknob as she fell, and it opened just as she toppled over onto her back. Lizzie darted forward, hooked her claws under the door, and pulled it open. Kyestorm scrambled to her feet and darted out into the dark hallway. She halted, and looked back, confused by the unfamiliar surroundings. As Lizzie walked out of the room, Kyestorm peered back into it, eyeing the cozy sofa, her soft bed, the full food dishes and water bowl and felt a short pang of regret.
“I really am grateful to your housefolk and I’m so sorry I clawed one of them when I first arrived. I’ve been nice since, and even purr for them,” Kyestorm apologized, meeting Lizzie’s sharp green gaze.
“I know,” Lizzie replied. “I am glad you calmed down, and they really like you. Are you sure you must leave us?’
“Yes, I really miss my family. I have to try and go back,” Kyestorm explained, then a thought occurred to her. “Won’t your housefolk be really angry if you help me escape?’
“Nah.” Lizzie flicked her tail. “I’m always sneaking out on them. They’ll be disappointed you got out, but they’ll blame themselves more for not keeping an eye on me better.’
Kyestorm looked down the dark hallway. Moonlight slanted into the window, and Kyestorm felt another stab of longing for her home and family. She looked at Lizzzie.
“What do we do now?”
"Follow me," Lizzie answered. "We'll try my cat door. Maybe my housefokk forgot it seeing they had you locked in the livingroom."
Kyestorm followed her new friend down the hall into the dark kitchen. Lizzie led her to the back door, where Kyestorm noticed a strange flap covering an obvioushole in the door. Lizzie tentatively pushed a paw against the flap and it gave way. She turned glowing green eyes to Kyestorm, and bared the tips of her fangs in a grin.
"They forgot to secure it," Lizzie purred. "Too worried about other doors. Come on."
The pretty patched tabby slipped through the opening, and Kyestorm eyed it with concern. She followed, and stuck her head through. Despite her concern, she pushed forward, before her body stuck fast in the hole. Kyestorm uttered a squeak, cutting off a wail by snapping her jaws shut. Lizzie looked back, standing in the snow, silhouetted by the moon.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm stuck!" Kyestorm hissed.
"Ate too much?" Lizzie tittered, before tilting her head.
"Not funny! My shoulders are stuck!" Kyestorm spat. "Why is this so small?"
"To keep wildlife out," Lizzie answered. "Wiggle a bit."
Kystorm growled, exhaling before twisting and turning like a snake in a trap. Her body tilted just enough to free her shoulders and she thrust through the door, leaving clumps of her red pelt behind. She stumbled out into the snow, stood up, shook herself, then trotted after Lizzie.
They traveled through the snows toward the mountains. Kyestorm felt the pull in her heart from them, and knew she needed to keep moving toward those peaks. The ground grew rough, with craggy stones, and steep terrain. A hiss from the brush stopped them, and Lizzie backed up to stad beside Kyestorm.
"Who trespasses on MountainClan territory?" A long-pelted tortoiseshell and white she-cat with intense green eyes stepped out from behind a rock. Kyestorm inhaled sharply, staring at the she-cat.
"We do," Lizzie answered. "Sorry, but my companion needs to find her way home."
"Yes," Kyestorm shook herself, meeting the other cats evergreen gaze. "Forgive me, but you look the mirror image of one of my daughters, who left the clan many seasons ago with her mate, who lived in some far away clan. I am Kyestorm of ThunderClan."
The shaggy she-cat eyed Kyestorm, expression thoughtful, ears erect.
"Hello, Kyestorm. I am Shadowface of MountainClan. So, you come from one of the ancient Clans we thought long gone? Perhaps the stories my grandfather spoke were true after all." Shadowface stepped forward and inspected Kyestorm. "Large one, aren't you?"
"What stories?" Kyestorm asked, hopeful to hear anything about Autumnglory.
"It is said my greatgrandfather's mother was an outsider, a cat who supposedly came from one of those Clans from far over the Mountains." Shadowface flicked her long fluffy tail. "She adapted well to our lands, and she was supposedly very large, like you. She was proud of her heritage but what type of cat she claimed to be was lost long ago."
"She was a Maine Coon, like me. You look so much like her," Kyestorm murmured, before lifting her head toward the peaks. "I need to get home."
"I will help you." Shadowface nodded. "An elder should not be traveling alone out here."
"Do you need me?" Lizzie spoke up.
"Go home, and be safe," Kyestorm gazed at her new friend fondly. "Thank you for everything."
"I can help," Lizzie insisted.
"It's dangerous lands up there. No place for a kittypet," Shadowface said firmly, but her voice rattled with an amused purr, taking the sting from her tone.
"All right," Lizzie capitulated, and Kyestorm saw relief in her friend;s bright green eyes. "I'll wait until you're out of sight."
"Thank you," Kyestorm moved to Lizzie and wrapped her thick tail around Lizzie's shoulders. "Stay safe and warm. I won't forget you."
"Nor I you," Lizzie mewed.
"Let's move," Shadowface interupted, and Kyestorm heard the impatience in her voice. "I can get you over the ridge by sunrise. But I must let my clan know what is going on."
"Fare well, Lizzie," Kyestorm called as she followed Shadowface. Lizzie sat down, watching.
"Take care, Kyestorm. May your StarClan watch over your pawsteps."
Kyestorm waved her tail, glancing back once, feeling a stab of grief at leaving Lizzie. She faced forward, trotting in Shadowface's wake.
"I can't!" Lizzie's voice startled her. "I cant let you travel alone once you leave MountianClan."
Kyestorm felt Lizzie rush up alongside her.
"It's dangerous," Kyestorm growled. "And cold."
"Lizzie," Shadowface grumbled irritably. "Go home."
"No!" Lizzie spat with temper. "I'm coming. I'll make sure you get home, then I can come back."
"Alone?" Kyestorm retorted.
"The ancient clan lands are far away." Shadowface said. "It will take moons, maybe even seasons to get there."
"Don't you care about your housefolk?" Kyestorm asked, remembering that long ago fire that forced her and Demonstone away from their housefolk and into the wild.
"You two work this out," Shadowface interrupted with a snort. "I'll be back."
Shadowface vanished into the rocks, and Kyestorm stared at Lizzie for many long minutes, waiting for an answer.
"I do, but, I don't want to leave you either. I need to know you'll be safe," Lizzie responded, stubbornness evident in her bristling fur.
"I may be old, but I'm not infirm yet," Kyestorm lifted a huge cream paw and flashed her huge claws. "'ll be fine."
"Stubborn old geezer. . . " Lizzie mewled in frustration, before uttering a gusty sigh. "But . . . "
"You two done bickering?" Shadiwface's voice startled Kyestorm and she leaped straight up, spraying snow everywhere, landing with claws unsheathed.
"Mousedung!" Kyestorm sputtered.
"Good reflexes for an old one." Shadowface purred with mirth, then leveled her unusual green eyes on Lizzie. "Go home, Lizzie. This will be a long, cold dangerous journey."
"But who will guide her once she leaves your territory?" Lizzie protested.
"I've spoken to my Clan Leader, so I can go as far as we need to. Beyond those peaks is another ridge where it is said Tribes live, related to the ancient Clans." Shadowface explained. "They will help guide you."
"The Tribes still exist," Kyestorm confirmed. "If you point me there I can get home."
"Agreed." Shadowface faced Lizzie. "Stubborn little she cat. You must make this decision carefully. It s time t decide, Give up your kittypet life and go with us, or go home."
(Ok Razz! What does Lizzie do?)
LIZZIE
Lizzie made yet another lunge for the doorknob, holding on to the best of her abilities, grunting with effort as the knob gave just a small bit, before she collapsed to the ground, flattening her ears. A growl rose in her throat when she heard the thump on the floor behind her, signaling the red queen's departure from the windowsill. She gave a little mrrow of confusion when Kyestorm appeared beside her, rearing onto her hindpaws to hold on to the knob far better than Lizzie could ever hope to.
At the prompting from the red queen, Lizzie screwed up her face, muttering under her breath.
"This is crazy," she lamented softly, thought she bunched her hindlegs and vaulted onto the massive russet she-cat's back. She braced against the she-cat's hips, stretching upwards so that her chest was planted on Kyestorm's shoulders, placing smaller paws on the knob.
She reacted quickly to the yowl of the red queen, flipping the knob as hard as she could, giving a small growl of frustration when it didn't open, and Kyestorm began to slip, crying out desperately.
“Why won’t it open?”
“Pull back!” Lizzie meowed, and leaped sideways off Kyestorm’s back. “You have to pull back!”
Now that Lizzie had fallen clear, Kyestorm toppled backwards, holding on to the knob with all her might. It creaked open as the russet she-cat collapsed onto her back, and Lizzie reacted quickly, darting forwards and hooking her claws around the side of the door, pulling it open deftly. Kyestorm was out the door in a second, and Lizzie followed, a bit calmer than her companion. She watched the red she-cat pay a sad glance at the room as the door slowly closed behind them. She perked her ears at Kyestorm's next lament, apologizing to her.
“I really am grateful to your housefolk and I’m so sorry I clawed one of them when I first arrived. I’ve been nice since, and even purr for them,” Kyestorm apologized, meeting the other's gaze.
“I know,” Lizzie replied, not breaking eye contact, “I am glad you calmed down, and they really like you. Are you sure you must leave us?"
“Yes, I really miss my family. I have to try and go back,” Kyestorm explained sadly, before adding as an afterthought, “Won’t your housefolk be really angry if you help me escape?"
“Nah,” Lizzie flicked her tail, looking away, “I’m always sneaking out on them. They’ll be disappointed you got out, but they’ll blame themselves more for not keeping an eye on me better."
“What do we do now?” the red queen asked, and Lizzie flicked an ear, standing up calmly.
"Follow me," she answered, "We'll try the cat door. Maybe the housefolk forgot it, seeing that they had us locked in the living room."
She turned down the hallway, heading for the kitchen silently. There she flicked her ears and stretched out a paw, tentatively pressing against the flap on the back door that gave her access in and out of the house. It gave way under the pressure, and Lizzie turned luminescent green eyes to the red queen, baring her teeth in a feral grin.
"They forgot to secure it," Lizzie purred, "too worried about other doors. Come on."
The tortoiseshell she-cat slipped out the opening, turning around, paws buried in the shallow snow. She flicked an ear, silhouetted by the moon as she caught sight of the red queen's predicament.
"What's wrong?" she asked, confused by the holdup.
"I'm stuck!" Kyestorm hissed.
"Ate too much?" Lizzie tittered, before tilting her head in amusement. It was quite funny, the russet Maine Coon getting stuck so easily.
"Not funny! My shoulders are stuck!" Kyestorm spat, "Why is this so small?"
"To keep wildlife out," Lizzie answered simply, as though the answer was obvious, "Wiggle a bit."
Kystorm growled, exhaling before twisting and turning like a snake in a trap. Her body tilted just enough to free her shoulders and she thrust through the door, leaving clumps of her red pelt behind. She stumbled out into the snow, stood up, shook herself, then trotted after Lizzie, who had already turned away and begun moving towards the mountain range.
They traveled through the snows toward the mountains. The ground grew rough, with craggy stones, and steep terrain. A hiss from the brush stopped them, and Lizzie backed up to stand beside Kyestorm, emerald eyes narrowed fiercely, her hackles rising slightly at the threat.
"Who trespasses on MountainClan territory?" A long-pelted tortoiseshell and white she-cat with intense green eyes stepped out from behind a rock. Kyestorm inhaled sharply, staring at the she-cat, and Lizzie flattened her ears, struggling for a good answer.
"We do," Lizzie answered finally, "Sorry, but my companion needs to find her way home."
"Yes," Kyestorm shook herself, meeting the other cats evergreen gaze. "Forgive me, but you look the mirror image of one of my daughters, who left the clan many seasons ago with her mate, who lived in some far away clan. I am Kyestorm of ThunderClan."
The shaggy she-cat eyed Kyestorm, expression thoughtful, ears erect. Lizzie stood silent, dropping her fur so that she was no longer looking threatening.
"Hello, Kyestorm. I am Shadowface of MountainClan. So, you come from one of the ancient Clans we thought long gone? Perhaps the stories my grandfather spoke were true after all," Shadowface stepped forward and inspected Kyestorm, "Large one, aren't you?"
"What stories?" Kyestorm asked, and Lizzie could see hope glimmering in her eyes. The old queen seemed to be seeking something, prehaps a name.
"It is said my greatgrandfather's mother was an outsider, a cat who supposedly came from one of those Clans from far over the Mountains," Shadowface flicked her long fluffy tail, "She adapted well to our lands, and she was supposedly very large, like you. She was proud of her heritage but what type of cat she claimed to be was lost long ago."
"She was a Maine Coon, like me. You look so much like her," Kyestorm murmured, before lifting her head toward the peaks, adding "I need to get home."
"I will help you." Shadowface nodded. "An elder should not be traveling alone out here."
"Do you need me?" Lizzie spoke up, looking a little bit put out. She had been the one to get Kyestorm out here, and was being pretty much ignored. She didn't blame the red queen, but it was tiring for a young cat like her to not get any attention at all.
"Go home, and be safe," Kyestorm gazed at her new friend fondly "Thank you for everything."
"I can help," Lizzie insisted, not wanting to be left out of the adventure she'd helped start.
"It's dangerous lands up there. No place for a kittypet," Shadowface said firmly, but her voice rattled with an amused purr, taking the sting from her tone.
"All right," Lizzie capitulated, and Kyestorm saw relief in her friend's bright green eyes, "I'll wait until you're out of sight." She felt a bit put out, but still relieved that they weren't going to actually beg her to go.
"Thank you," Kyestorm moved to Lizzie and wrapped her thick tail around Lizzie's shoulders, "Stay safe and warm. I won't forget you."
Lizzie purred slightly at the farewell from the red queen, and turned sad eyes to her.
"Nor I you," Lizzie mewed.
"Let's move," Shadowface interupted, and Kyestorm heard the impatience in her voice. "I can get you over the ridge by sunrise. But I must let my clan know what is going on."
"Farewell, Lizzie," Kyestorm called as she followed Shadowface. Lizzie sat down, watching, feeling her heart flutter against her ribs like a trapped starling.
"Take care, Kyestorm. May your StarClan watch over your pawsteps," she called, blinking green eyes.
Kyestorm waved her tail, glancing back once, feeling a stab of grief at leaving Lizzie. She faced forward, trotting in Shadowface's wake.
Lizzie sat still for only a few seconds, before a harsh twist in her stomach sent her flying onto her paws.
"I can't!" Lizzie wailed, startling Kyestorm, "I can't let you travel alone once you leave MountianClan."
The tortoiseshell she-cat raced to the red queen's side, drawing up close to them.
"It's dangerous," Kyestorm growled, "And cold."
"Lizzie," Shadowface grumbled irritably. "Go home."
"No!" Lizzie spat with temper. "I'm coming. I'll make sure you get home, then I can come back."
Irritation at being brushed off as useless so easily came up into her voice far easier than she'd expected, and she chastised herself for getting so defensive and childish so quickly.
"Alone?" Kyestorm retorted.
"The ancient clan lands are far away." Shadowface said. "It will take moons, maybe even seasons to get there."
"Don't you care about your housefolk?" Kyestorm asked, and Lizzie flattened her ears at the tag teaming, crouching down slightly like a chastised kit.
"You two work this out," Shadowface interrupted with a snort. "I'll be back."
As the long furred she-cat disappeared into the rocks, Kyestorm's gaze honed in on Lizzie, and they sat in silence for several long minutes, before the smaller cat drew herself up into a sitting position, trying to look more mature and strong than she was.
"I do, but I don't want to leave you either. I need to know you'll be safe," Lizzie responded, stubbornness evident in her bristling fur.
"I may be old, but I'm not infirm yet," Kyestorm lifted a huge cream paw and flashed her huge claws. "I'll be fine."
"Stubborn old geezer. . . " Lizzie mewled in frustration, before uttering a gusty sigh. "But . . . " She looked terribly put out, and turned her green gaze to the snow, locking in on it.
"You two done bickering?" Shadowface's voice startled Kyestorm, and Lizzie was sprayed with snow as the red queen leaped into the air with shock, sending a spray of snow out in all directions. She gave a little meow of protest, and shook herself to get the cold snow off of her dark pelt.
"Mousedung!" Kyestorm sputtered.
"Good reflexes for an old one." Shadowface purred with mirth, then leveled her unusual green eyes on Lizzie. "Go home, Lizzie. This will be a long, cold dangerous journey."
"But who will guide her once she leaves your territory?" Lizzie protested, feeling insulted by the clan cat.
"I've spoken to my Clan Leader, so I can go as far as we need to. Beyond those peaks is another ridge where it is said Tribes live, related to the ancient Clans." Shadowface explained. "They will help guide you."
"The Tribes still exist," Kyestorm confirmed. "If you point me there I can get home."
"Agreed." Shadowface faced Lizzie. "Stubborn little she cat. You must make this decision carefully. It's time to decide, Give up your kittypet life and go with us, or go home."
Lizzie felt her heart hammer in her chest now that she was truly being faced with the gravity of her decision. She turned green eyes to the snow, taking a deep breath, and then looking upwards, determined to make the right choice.
"I'll go with you," she meowed firmly, standing up with as much dignity as she could muster.
The young tortoiseshell had never been outside of her home for longer than a few days at a time. She didn't really understand what a big choice she'd just made, but her heart told her it was the right one. Her housefolk could get another cat, a nicer one than she was, and maybe they'd be happier. And she could escort the red queen to her home, and be sure that she made it through her journey.
She turned her gaze to the ground, looking a bit saddened for a moment, and then she looked up at Shadowface and Kyestorm.
"Are we going to move?" she asked softly, tipping her head. It occurred to her just then that she was both the smallest and the only one without long fur in their little group. Determined not to let it bother her, she fluffed out her coat, standing as tall as she could get herself, still barely reaching Kyestorm's shoulder. She waited for one of the two others to lead the way, looking both nervous and confident, a strange combo that Lizzie was very good at pulling off.
KYESTORM
Kyestorm gazed at Lizzie, happy her new friend decided to accompany her, but also worried about her safely. She rumbled deep in her chest, and flexed her her claws, determined to bring Lizzie safely to ThunderClan, where she knew her family and Clan would welcome her with sheathed paws and purrs.
(will get back to this soon!!! Busy week ahead with Hubby home on vacation!)
Shadow Razz and I are continuing! You are welcome to join with Shadowface's pov at any time!
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