by C A Ardron
‘There you are.’
Lion turned around, cup in hand as Tiger entered the kitchen and promptly sat at the large dining table.
He held up his mug for her to see. ‘Kettle's just boiled.’
‘I'm fine,’ she waved him away with one hand before her face twisted distastefully. ‘Lion, could you dress like a captain once in a while?’
Lion looked down at his ripped jeans and old white t-shirt. ‘This is what I always wear.’
‘Yes, I know.’ She gestured to herself, pointing out her stylish black trousers and pretty green blouse. ‘You should be setting an example, like me.’
‘I don't think they'd suit me.’
Tiger's scowl was fierce.
‘How's Leopard?’ He decided to change the subject before she could suggest another shopping trip.
Tiger's scowl lessened, turning into a normal frown. ‘I'm not sure, to tell the truth. She's not saying much, I'm guessing the whole thing with Karen has reminded her of...you know.’
Lion nodded, he couldn't imagine the kinds of thoughts that must be running through her head.
‘I realise how hard this is for her, I just hope she can keep up a work ethic while Karen's around.’
‘Well, it's not like she's going to be around for a long time,’ Tiger pointed out.
Lion met her gaze, remembering his conversation with Dove before she left.
‘What? Why are you staring like that?’
Lion carefully considered his words before he spoke. Tiger had a short temper, but she was also the closest to Leopard. Perhaps Tiger should have time to get used to the idea before her partner found out.
‘Dove wants to give Karen a medallion.’
Tiger stared. ‘What?’ Her voice crossed the room in a hiss. ‘She's an ex-Sarpien!’
‘Yes,’ Lion rubbed the top of his head. ‘That's what I said, but that's the reason Dove wants to the most.’
‘Huh?’
‘Dove believes Karen will be more help to us in rescuing Jay if she has a medallion, and that it will ultimately help us protect her from the Sarpiens.’
Tiger's frown had not diminished, nor her expression of disbelief, but she stood, starting to pace. Slowly, her anger faded, being replaced by thoughtfulness.
Lion leant back against the counter and drank from his mug. ‘What are you thinking?’
Tiger stopped pacing and turned to face him, meeting his gaze seriously.
‘You do realise that a lot of Predgarians would say she doesn't deserve our protection?’
Lion nodded, knowing that all too well. He was surprised at her mature attitude. It was easy to forget that despite her appearance and fun-loving outlook on life, she was a fully-trained Predgarian, and like him had been raised within the hidden city of Predgariah.
‘I know,’ he replied, his voice quiet. There were several decisions he'd made today already that the other units in Steiron wouldn't like. He'd be lucky if he was still a captain by tomorrow. ‘I have my misgivings about the notion too, but I've ignored Dove's advice before...’
Tiger laughed shortly. ‘That never ends well for us, does it? So what are you going to do?’
‘I don't feel I can possibly make this decision without informing someone, but I refuse to take it to Martial Eagle.’
Tiger grinned. ‘I'd have hit you over the head if you'd suggested it. So who have you taken it too?’
‘I've left a message with the callboard in Predgariah. General Jaguar always said to contact him if I had any problems.’
Tiger's grin grew broader. ‘That's right, I forgot. You're the General's favourite, aren't you?’
‘I'm not his favourite!’ Lion tried to regain his temper, people saying that always made him angry. He hoped his face hadn't gone red this time.
Tiger laughed. ‘There it is - the face. Come on, you know I don't mean anything by it.’
Lion grimaced at her. She might not take it seriously, but a lot of people did. He'd heard the gossip - people thought he was only a captain because Jaguar had taken a personal liking to him.
‘Do you really think the general will consider this important though?’ Tiger asked. ‘This is technically a Dakkonin problem after all, even if they are a bit busy at the moment.’
‘He'll listen.’ Lion could feel the heat leaving his cheeks. He was sure Jaguar would want to know what happened today. He glanced down at Tiger's medallion, the crimson coin stood out against the deep green of her shirt. ‘Tiger, your family have a reputation for all being fire-users.’
Tiger smiled and lifted her chin proudly. ‘For the last four generations.’
‘Have you ever seen anyone burst into flame without a medallion?’
Tiger's smile vanished. ‘Never.’
Lion nodded, his point made. ‘I think Jaguar will be interested in what I have to say. There's more than just a boy's life at stake here. If they turn him into a Sarpien...’
Tiger nodded seriously. ‘We need to get him back. Once he's been trained he could burn Steiron to the ground. I think you're right, this might be enough for the general to let an ex-Sarpien into our Order.’
The phone started to ring in Lion's office.
‘That'll probably be the general now,’ he told her, hurrying out of the kitchen.
‘Good luck,’ Tiger called after him.
Lion quickly went to his office and picked up the phone. ‘West Sector Predgarian Centre. General,’ he said with great relief. He'd have been far from happy if he'd had to make a decision concerning Karen before speaking to his old mentor. ‘Thank you for getting back to me. I'm sorry for bothering you, but you said I could call if I needed your advice.’
‘Not at all, Lion,’ Jaguar's older voice came across. ‘What seems to be the problem?’
As briefly as he could, Lion detailed everything that had happened that morning.
‘Well,’ Jaguar said eventually. His voice displayed no surprise, though the subject matter was far from an every day occurrence. ‘That's what I call a busy morning. You say the White Dove has suggested this idea?’
‘Yes, Sir.’
‘Hm, well, she's got a point. We could really get the jump on the Sarpiens with a walking dead in our ranks. Still, the elders won't like it...’
Lion remained silent. Jaguar seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of it. ‘All right, listen carefully because there's a couple of things I need you to do.’
‘I'm listening.’
‘Firstly, if at all possible, don't let the Dakkonin know what you're planning and under no circumstances let them know why the Sarpiens have taken the boy.’
Lion paused, surprised by this. ‘Why?’
‘Because they'll want him for themselves. If you manage to get him back I want him enrolled in the Order right away.’
‘Understood, General.’
‘Good. Secondly, why don't we keep Karen to ourselves? Don't let anyone outside your unit know her past.’
Lion's pause was even longer. Did he hear that right? ‘You want me to keep what she is a secret?’
‘The council would never go for it. Just tell the woman to keep her arms covered. I'm sure it'll be fine.’
Fine? Was he serious? If anyone found out he'd be cast out of the Order, and he wasn't sure what consequences there would be for the General.
‘Lion?’
‘Yes Sir, I'll...see that your orders are carried out.’
Jaguar chuckled. ‘Don't worry, Lion. White Dove's empathic and intuitive skills are well tested. If she says this Karen is a good person then I believe her. I have to go now, keep me informed. One last thing, if you can't get help from the Dakkonin or the other Predgarian units in Steiron, consider the Pharollin Order. White Dove has had dealings with them in the past, she might be able to persuade them to lend a hand.’
With that last suggestion, Jaguar hung up. Lion stared at the phone receiver in his hand, barely able to believe his general had said all of those things. It was all very well Jaguar assuring h
im of Dove's abilities, but he was more concerned with the fact they were going to brush Karen's past under the carpet. Could they really give Karen a medallion without notifying the council?
Lion swallowed. The general didn't have a problem with it though. He found himself greatly conflicted, was it all right to go along with this?
The office door opened and Tiger poked her head through. ‘They're back.’
‘Dove?’
Tiger nodded, ‘and Karen's with her.’
‘All right, armour on. I'll call Hawk and Wolf back in.’
‘I'll go tell Leopard,’ Tiger told him, her hand clutching at the Feline medallion at her chest.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
When Tiger left the bedroom after informing her that Karen was being brought back in, Leopard remained stood where she was. Breathing through her nose, she waited for the sound of her partner's footsteps to fade. Then, with no one around to see or hear, she allowed the tight rein she'd been keeping on her emotions to lessen.
The short blonde woman turned on the spot and swung her fist, grimacing as the pain from punching the unpadded plaster wall radiated across her knuckles.
She collapsed onto her small bed and buried her face in her hands, trying to stop the tears that were welling up. How could Lion do this to her? He knew, she'd told him everything. She'd needed to explain her motives before he'd take her on as a Predgarian.
Everyone was turning against her, they thought she was being unreasonable and was disrespecting Lion. It wasn't like that at all - she respected Lion enormously. He's everything she'd ever expected a Predgarian to be, both he and Tiger were. There'd never been much for Leopard to smile about growing up, but Tiger could always lighten her dark thoughts, no matter what they were doing.
Leopard rubbed the tears from her eyes and picked up the photo frame stood on the dresser near the bed. It had always been a small picture, but it was the only one she had.
She ran one finger across the image of the attractive woman, her cheerful face was unworn by trouble or grief. She seemed angelic to Leopard, wearing her white dress, her blonde hair curling about her shoulders and her gold earrings, set with a type of blue gem, matched the delicate pendant decorating her neck.
Leopard had been told by any number or people, even Tiger, that she resembled her mother quite a bit. She'd look like her even more if she let her hair grow long, but she liked it short, it was easier to manage and didn't get in the way when she was fighting.
She put the photo frame back as she felt her anger rise again. She felt positively cheated. Every time she thought back to Lister Road her blood boiled. She had actually felt happy when Dove had managed to heal Karen. The feeling of hope she'd felt when Dove had achieved the impossible, healed a wound delivered by the Praying Mantis, now turned to bitter rage.
Glancing back at her mother's picture, Leopard laid it face down with a trembling hand. She'd vowed to avenge her, to make Mantis pay for what he did that day, now just over twenty years ago.
She no longer deserved to look that picture in the face, where her own mother had died, a Sarpien was healed. She should have killed Karen the moment she found out, that would have been justice.
Mantis needed to die, all the Sarpiens did. She steeled herself with resolve. Karen would pay, but she would wait until they'd rescued the boy. Even if it meant her place in the Predgarians, her mother would be avenged.
***
‘Stop fidgeting,’ Wolf told Hawk as they stepped through the front doors of the Predgarian Centre.
‘I'm not!!’
‘Your wings are twitching.’
The tall Avian abruptly folded his brown wings onto his back. ‘Better?’
Wolf just shook his helmeted head. He hoped this whole affair was over and done with soon, Hawk clearly had an infatuation for Karen. In truth he was unhappy with Karen being brought back. The woman represented something Wolf had never had to think about before. He liked things to be neat and tidy, all in their own individual boxes. Karen muddied up the waters more than a little. It brought home the truth that the sclithe were the true enemy, not the Sarpiens, but the sclithe stayed hidden in their holes, relying on their servants to do most of the fighting for them.
How many Sarpiens were like Karen? How many of them had given up, in too much pain to say no any longer? Was the notorious, bloodthirsty Red Jackal one of them?
Wolf had to grudgingly admit that most of the evil things Sarpiens did were influenced by the sclithe and he couldn't help wonder what Jackal might be like without that snake on his arm. He shook himself from that line of thought. It didn't matter, he was a Sarpien and an enemy. There was no coming back for the likes of Jackal, Cobra, Mantis or any of the others. Karen had been lucky, most Sarpiens didn't survive the death of their sclithe.
Wolf followed Hawk through the thick door and into the narrow corridor which was Predgarian access only. Almost directly in front of them was the staircase and down the corridor to the right, Lion's office.
Wolf glanced into the kitchen by the stairs, noting Dove and Tiger were there and both in armour. He was guessing Karen was nearby, since none of them usually had their medallions active when in the building.
Hawk stepped into the kitchen without hesitation. ‘We're back. I see you've found Wolf's book, Karen’
Wolf tensed at this and strode through the doorway. He immediately saw that Karen was sat at the far end of the table, his thick book from the Dakkonin lying open in front of her. He glanced down at it, it was open in the brown sclithe section. His face obscured by his heavy wolf's helmet, he was able to scrutinise her without being obvious. She still wore the same clothes, and she'd made no attempt to do anything about the bloody patch on the right arm of her jacket.
He tensed again as he realised Karen was openly scrutinising him right back. He didn't think she'd get anywhere, not while he was in armour.
‘Interesting that a Predgarian has a book about sclithe,’ she commented.
Wolf stared. Having nothing to go on with his appearance, the woman had jumped straight to his possessions for information. He was struck again by what a character she was. Anyone would be foolish to let their guard down when in this woman's company, even if she didn't have a medallion.
Karen didn't seem the least bit uncomfortable at his lack of reply and leant back in the wooden chair. She pushed the open book and it slid down the table towards him. Her push was quite hard and Wolf stepped forwards quickly, thinking it was going to fall off the end of the table, but it stopped just a few inches from the edge.
He picked his book up and closed it, placing it on the pristine white counter which bordered most of the kitchen wall. As he put it down a thought came to him, making his hand freeze momentarily. Had the neat motion of sliding the book down the table been coincidence, or had she known it would stop just before the edge?
Karen had obviously held a medallion at some point in the past, just how good a warrior was she?
Wolf still hadn't said anything to her and no one else had spoken either. He thought that his silence in response to her comment might have made people uncomfortable so he turned, trying to think of something to say.
‘The information is quite accurate, actually,’ Karen spoke of her own accord, her tone very matter of fact.
Was she saying that for his benefit? Or just to ease the tension?
‘The Dakkonin are at the forefront in dealing with the Sarpiens,’ Wolf replied. ‘They are very thorough in their research.’ Why did his voice sound so hollow? He couldn't understand why he had trouble speaking to her. She didn't make him nervous, so he had no idea why he was acting this way.
Karen made a disgusted sound in her throat.
‘Don't you like the Dakkonin?’ Hawk asked.
Karen stared at him. ‘Do you enjoy asking stupid questions?’
Wolf noticed that Hawk's wings had begun to twitch again. He hadn't thought about it, but since the Dakkonin were Sarpien hunters, he imagined they were on Karen
's list of people to avoid.
Thankfully, the moment was broken by Lion's arrival. Wolf smiled inside his helmet. With both he and Lion stood in the room wearing full armour, the kitchen looked much smaller.
‘Where's Leopard?’ Lion asked immediately, looking at Tiger.
‘Uh, around.’
Her tone made Wolf think she was being evasive. Had Leopard refused to co-operate after all?
‘Get her,’ Lion ordered, his tone curt.
Tiger sighed and muttered to herself on her way out. ‘Don't know why she's always my responsibility.’
‘Karen,’ Lion turned his attention to her.
The Unician raised one, questioning eyebrow at him.
‘Thank you for coming back.’
She smiled briefly, offering no comment.
There were heavy footsteps on the stairs as the two Feline warriors descended. They appeared in the doorway and Wolf noticed immediately that Leopard was looking more sour than usual.
He glanced over at Karen, wondering what her reaction would be. Apart from her smile being a little more forced however, she appeared calm. As he realised how little her expression had changed, he realised Karen could be expecting an attack at any second and wouldn't show any more emotion than she currently was. This one kept her cards very close to the chest.
Leopard was staring daggers but Karen had obviously chosen to ignore her. She turned her attention to Lion. ‘Well, since you're serious about this, I'm assuming you have some sort of plan?’
Lion laughed good-humouredly. ‘It would've been helpful, wouldn't it? No, I'm afraid I don't. I was hoping you could help us with that part.’
Karen stared at him in consternation and then glanced at Dove. ‘You didn't tell me that.’
Dove smiled at her. ‘He means he wants your help finding an entrance.’
Karen became thoughtful. Wolf wondered what was going through her mind. She must know so much about Sarpiens and the way they worked. He shuddered at the idea. He didn't think he'd like to know even half of the sadistic things Sarpiens did in their spare time.