by KM Fortune
“No,” Blaze responded. “She’s only my friend. There’s another woman. Like no one I have ever met.” The brown-haired girl tossed her head.
“Well then where is she if she is so special?” she asked. Blaze grew solemn and looked away toward the fire pit. Matthew could barely hear his answer.
"I wish I knew, but soon I will go look for her and I won't stop until I find her again," Blaze said. Matthew closed his eyes and did not want to hear any more. Blaze's words might as well have been Matthew's own.
CHAPTER 11
Crossing a train trellis high above a gorge, Raven walked behind Hector, and with Kit beside her, looked down. The view was thrilling and what she saw filled her with amazement. An elaborate city of cliff dwellings was constructed below her, and it was bustling with activity. Carved into the face of the rock, intricate stairways and ladders were used to connect one level stacked upon the other. After months of dismal surroundings, seeing people moving about their homes was uplifting. As she continued to walk, trying not to trip over the rail ties in the process, she could barely take her eyes away. The place seems to almost sparkle, she thought as the evening sunlight cast a few weak rays onto the face of the mountainside. Everywhere she looked, there was something ornate, and it glittered brightly as the sun began to slip over the mountain's peak. "It's beautiful, Hector," Raven said. "Why does it shine like that?"
Hector, following along behind the two royal guardsmen, glanced over his shoulder at her and grinned. "Silver," he answered. "Lots and lots of it. The city is built on top of a mine. Just about everything here is made from it." Raven's mouth dropped open, and she gazed again at the beautiful landscape below her. Truly incredible, she thought and glanced over at Kit who also looked transfixed on the vista.
"Have you ever seen anything like it, Kit?" Raven asked the little woman. Kit shook her head. Raven was not surprised. The place was like an entirely different world than the one on the other side of the tunnel. Even though the weather was still freezing and blue ice, dusted with white snow, filled gaps in the rock, it only seemed to emphasize the beauty of her surroundings. “How is this all possible?” Raven asked, not necessarily to anyone, but simply in amazement. She saw Hector shrug.
“It’s always been this way,” he replied. “Our numbers have grown dramatically from what I know, but it all started with a single large pride and one human.”
“One human?” she asked. “Who?”
“Ah, a legend. She’s been dead for a long time, but this all started from the brilliance of a single woman,” Hector answered. “Doctor Edith Shelley. We are all her children basically.”
Raven shook her head. It was almost all a little too much to take in at once. Everything was surreal, and for a moment she wondered if she was dreaming. A hidden city filled with cat mutants? she thought. This cannot possibly be real. A startling idea struck her. What if I’m imagining all of this? What if I’m insane? Raven looked around. The train trellis felt real under her feet. The sky overhead, the setting sun, the cold breeze across her cheeks. They all seemed real. She looked at Kit again and saw the overly large dark eyes in her narrow face framed with long brown hair. The girl lifted an eyebrow at Raven as if recognizing her sudden distress. "This is real, isn't it?" Raven whispered. Kit nodded and moved closer to take Raven's hand. It was comforting, and Raven tried to set her mind to rest. Even if all of it was only a fantasy, now was not the time to fight it. They were nearing the end of the overpass, and more guards stood at attention in front of a second tunnel ahead.
Kit liked none of it. In her mind, the city below them was completely alien. She was a child of the wasteland, and although a hard and brutal landscape, it was all she knew and it was her home. Seeing lamp lights come on in the different dwellings and the bustle of so many cat mutants finishing up their day drove fear deeper into her heart than a band of soldiers on a crusade. As far as she knew, all cat mutants considered humans food, but even if that was not the case, so much activity and noise were liable to drive her crazy. Kit did not care for people as a whole and considered Willow and Blaze her only family. Raven, on the other hand, was unique and Kit was not yet able to categorize their relationship beyond knowing Raven's safety was Kit's primary concern. Being surrounded by a thousand cat mutants would make meeting the objective difficult, to say the least.
Coming to the end of the trellis and being confronted with more guards holding spears, Kit scanned her surroundings for some means of escape. They were up over a ravine, and she considered trying to jump down, but in the growing dark, she could not gauge the distance or see what was at the bottom. Climbing the wooden structure would be easy enough, yet would take time and leave her exposed. I wonder if any of these guards are accurate at throwing their spear? she thought and was weighing the risks when she saw the two guards at the opening of the new tunnel step forward with weapons at the ready. Behind one, leaning up against the rock, was an ornately decorated leather quiver of arrows and a fine looking bow. Kit frowned. Apparently, I'm not the first person who considered climbing down a clever idea. Picking someone off with a well-placed one of those arrows would definitely do the trick. She resolved to be patient. The cat mutants had not yet taken her knives or throwing stars. The time to act would come, and Kit would be ready.
Coming to a stop, Hector sized up the two new guardsmen. They were not anyone he knew by sight, and he could not decide if it was a good or bad thing. Before he fled the city, Hector was close friends with many of the members of the royal guard. They always seemed to appreciate it when he would join them for a cup of ale and take part in the raucous talk about females, work, and life in general. On the other hand, if his brother was currently running the show with their father ill, Hector would be the last person Prince Edward wanted to see. Interrupting his thoughts, one of the new cat mutants at the tunnel's entrance came forward and held up a torch. "Whatcha got there, Al?" he asked. "Looks like an interesting batch."
Al shook his head. “You’re not going to believe it when I tell you,” he said. “This here is Prince Hector and with him is some fancy teacher lady and her midget escort.”
“Say what?” the other guard said and waved the torch around to get a closer look.
“You mind getting that thing out of my face,” Hector growled. The guard stepped back with a smirk on his feline features.
“Well aren’t you a lively one. Prince Hector, huh?” he said. “You know your dad’s about history?” Hector stiffened and was about to snarl back an answer when the second new guard held up a paw.
"That's enough, Roy," he said and turned to Hector. The beast's face was solemn. "Are you, in fact, Prince Hector?" he asked.
“I am. And I’ve come a long way,” Hector said, grateful at least one of the guards was a professional and not an idiot. He was beginning to think it would come to his having to kick all their asses if he wanted entrance into the city.
The guard nodded. “I’m Sergeant Gray,” he said. “Can I have your word that you and your companions intend no harm? There is a lot of unrest in the city at the moment. The king’s illness and the uncertain future has everyone on edge.”
"I give you my promise," Hector said and realized he truly meant it. Although less than a few weeks ago his intentions around returning were entirely self-serving, now he felt differently. The news of his father's dying had shaken him more than he could have imagined. All he wanted to do now was come home.
“Good,” Sergeant Gray said. “I will send for someone to relieve me and then escort you and your group inside.”
CHAPTER 12
The evening grew late, and Willow felt good. Her stomach was full, she was warm on the comfortable fur covered pillows beneath her, and she was surrounded by fine people. Her eyes were growing heavy in the warmth of the fire, which was tended to day and night to always provide a source of heat in the great room. Emilia and her man sat near, speaking quietly. After a few minutes, Emilia turned to Willow. "Jonas and I have agreed. Willow, we would
like you and your group to stay with us. To join our clan," she said. Willow raised her eyebrows. The proposition was a surprise as adding mouths to feed was always something serious to consider. Even though she and Blaze were resourceful and reliable, the pregnant Dawn and her teenage son Twig would be more of burden. Of course, then there was Matthew. Would he be welcome too? she thought.
"What about Matthew?" Willow asked quietly so the man, who sat only ten feet from her but looked distracted as he stared into the fire, would not overhear. Emilia was quiet. It appeared she was not yet sold on if he should stay or be asked to leave. To Willow, his being included in the invitation was a must. His bravery and unique skills had proven his worth to her. Finally, Emilia nodded.
“He would be welcome too,” she said. “As a healer, I believe the clan will accept him.”
“Thank you,” Willow said. “I will consider it.”
Kit could not believe her surroundings. The group had been escorted into a large room inside a building made of stone blocks and wooden beams. Tapestries hung from floor to ceiling to cover large sections of the walls. Tile, laid in an ornate pattern, covered the floor. Wooden furniture was upholstered in leather, which was handcrafted into elaborate designs. Two great pillars in the center of the room were whitewashed stucco and sconces on each held torches to light the space. Never in her life had Kit ever imagined such a place even existed. It was overwhelming and she moved closer to Raven. Raven looked down at her and smiled. Kit was reminded again of the woman's beauty with deep green eyes, fair skin, and short black hair. Kit realized her friend, even dressed in rags, fit in better here among the grandeur of the space than out in the harsh, barren landscape. The fact made Kit uneasy. She needed Raven to stay with her and help face the challenges still ahead. They needed to find Willow and Blaze again and with them, find a way to save Mouse from the Great Cave. As if seeing Kit's anxiety in her eyes, Raven nodded.
“Don’t worry, Kit. I know we can’t stay long,” Raven said. “Now that we have helped him back, I will ask Hector to return the favor and assist us in negotiating with the leaders of the Patrols. He said the men in the Great Cave and the cat mutants have a truce. We will use that to get Mouse. I promise.”
Blaze shook his head. He was not interested in what Willow was proposing. In fact, he could not be further against it. "No, I won't stay here. It's not that I don't think the people are friendly or the lodge is not impressive, but I have unfinished business." He paused and looked carefully at Willow. "We all do.” Willow sighed, and he knew she agreed with him, but he could also understand her conflict. As the clan chief, even though there were only five of them present right now, she had to consider what was best for their survival. Still, part of the clan was out in the high desert. The fact should not be ignored. Blaze's mind drifted to Kit for a moment. She will be fine, wherever she is, he thought. There was no one more resilient and cunning in his opinion. Blaze smiled a little as he remembered her wily ways and looked forward to when they met up again. A meeting which will only happen if I leave the people by the lake behind, he thought. There was no contest in his mind. “I will leave in the morning,” he said.
“Not alone, you won’t,” Matthew added. He sat with Blaze, Willow, Dawn, and Twig as they debated Emilia’s generous offer. Willow had brought it to them immediately although the hour grew late. Because she was a wise leader, Blaze understood why Willow consulted with them all and did not delay. So far, he was the only one to weigh in, or at least he was until Matthew spoke up. Just my luck, Blaze thought. Probably a smart move on his part though. These people will never see him as anything but a member of the Patrols no matter how much he helps them.
“Fine,” Blaze grumbled. Dawn leaned forward, and taking Twig’s hand in hers, shook her head.
"We will stay," she said quietly. "We can rebuild our lives here, and it will be a good place to have my baby." Blaze agreed with her yet looked into Twig's face to see how the boy felt. Twig's jaw was tight, and Blaze could see the kid might not agree with changing his life from a nomad to a fisherman, but he would stay with Dawn. It was his job to take care of her. Blaze gave him a slap on the shoulder.
"You're a good man," Blaze told him, and Twig smiled a little. "I know you will keep her safe." Blaze turned back to Willow. "Well?" he said to her. "Will you lead us to go help Mouse?"
"And find Raven," Matthew interjected. Blaze frowned. He was not a big fan of Matthew's obsession with the woman, but he let it go for the moment.
"And of course find Kit and Raven," Blaze said. Willow did not answer and instead looked away at nothing, apparently lost in thought. It was the first time Blaze realized she might actually not go with them. The idea scared him a little. She was his chief since he was a boy. He counted on her to make the hard decisions. Am I ready to be the leader? he wondered. Before he could decide how he really felt, people stepped up beside their group. Blaze looked up and saw the two blonde-haired brothers who made the bad wine. The twins.
“Sorry to butt in,” one of them said. Blaze knew it had to be Toby or Brody, but he could not tell them apart.
“Right, sorry,” said the other. “But we overheard you all talking.”
The first twin nodded. “We did,” he said. “And we want to come with you.”
CHAPTER 13
Raven sat on the edge of an antique sofa in the large room. They had been waiting for what felt like hours, but there was no way to be certain. Hector paced back and forth across the tile floor, and his agitation was evident on his face. She wished he would just sit down but knew asking would be a waste of breath. Hector's brother was certainly aware the group was there by now, and so the waiting was no doubt a show of power. Not how I would have handled it, Raven thought. But then I’m not a male cat mutant either, to say the least.
Raven glanced over at Kit who was crouched in a corner and constantly scanning the room for possible threats. She knew the girl was truly a wild card in all of it. When the brother did finally arrive, assuming he would, any hostility, particularly toward Raven, would most likely set Kit off. Raven shook her head at the mess. Finally, Hector paused, listening to something. Kit tensed as well and Raven realized a few seconds later that someone was coming. More like someones, she thought based on the number of footsteps she now heard clearly. Suddenly the door to the room was thrown open, and a guard walked through to take up station beside it. He was followed closely by another cat mutant. Raven watched as the creature strode confidently into the space. Hector immediately turned to face him. The two beasts stared at each other, hostility on their features. Raven could not help but notice their differences. Although they both were mutants somehow evolved from large cats, they were as different as night and day. Where Hector was tawny brown and large, his brother was dark furred, shorter, and looked almost elegant. Only their eyes were the same, and both were filled with hatred.
“They said you were here,” Hector’s brother said. “But I had to see it with my own eyes.” Hector did not reply and held his menacing gaze steady as if willing his little brother to look away first. Raven could taste the tension in the room and noticed out of the corner of her eye that Kit was reaching under her cloak, no doubt for a weapon. Taking a deep breath, Raven stood up and stepped forward. She held out her hand to Hector’s brother.
"Hello," she said as politely as she could muster. "I'm Raven Winter. You must be Prince Edward." Both of the brothers turned slowly to look at Raven. From their faces, it was as if they had forgotten she was even there. Raven swallowed to hide her nervousness. She knew either of the two could rip her apart in seconds. Unwilling to give into her fear, instead she smiled.
“What in the world did you drag in with you?” Prince Edward said as he looked Raven up and down. Raven knew she was a sight with her rags for clothes, short hair, and overall filthiness from living on the plains. Regardless, this creature did not need to be so rude, she thought. Raven was about to reply when the prince waived his hand dismissively and turned away to walk to a
sideboard where a silver decanter and matching goblets sat. “Leave it to my long lost brother to come tromping in here at the dead of night with a pair of dirty humans,” he said as he poured himself something to drink.
“Well you’ve not changed,” Hector growled. “Still the pompous ass.”
Prince Edward turned from the sideboard and smirked. “Say what you want, brother,” he said and motioned to the guard with his hand. The guard stomped his spear butt twice on the ground. Suddenly four more cat mutants dressed in leather armor and bearing spears and shields entered the room. Raven took a step back. Kit was instantly in front of her with a knife in each hand.
Prince Edward laughed when he saw it. "Really Hector? These are the best you could find to mount your glorious return? I'm disappointed," he snarled and looked to his men. "Take them to my dungeon until I figure out what to do with them." The guards started forward, and Kit crouched down, ready for combat. Hector roared and looked about to leap in Edward's direction. Raven's heart was beating a mile a minute as she waited for the bloodshed to begin. What can I do? she thought. How can I stop this?
Before she had a chance to do anything, a woman's voice sounded from the doorway. "Enough!" said the stranger. "You will all stop immediately. There will be no fighting." The guards all dropped to one knee while everyone else froze as Raven watched the most graceful creature she had ever seen walk into the room. The female cat mutant's fur glowed white with gray highlights, and her eyes were as blue as winter ice. Her presence filled the room as she gazed from one face to another. It stopped on Hector's. "Prince Hector. Welcome home," she said.
Hector bowed. "Lady Helen," he said. "It is a pleasure to see you."