Feral Heart

Irene's head flicked over to the left. Blinking she told herself she was just to tired. Must have just been a bird. All the canine had heard was echos from far away. Maybe a few minutes of laying down wouldn't hurt... she thought to herself. Irene yawned. Her eyes began to ache slowly and her head began to droop. It shot up again as Irene realized she was falling asleep. But it began to again within a few minutes. Delaying her sleep was pointless. She curled down into the fallen twigs of the tree. Slowly blacking out.

Irene padded through the woods. She swore she had heard barking and the terrified yelp of an elk. Sniffing, her nostrils expanded bringing the scents to her. Irene could detect the pack boundaries. She must be right on the border. Shrinking back the other was the wolf intended to avoid them. Their pack seemed large and Irene found that intimidating. Maybe she should let them find her rather than diving into their territory. Irene picked a tree a little ways from the border. It was fairly sheltered and would do for the night. The wolf at and awaited for sleep.

Zemina made it over the wall. She was aware of snarling behind her but it was gone now. Skidding down the wall she landed on the battlements. Two guards, pelted up to her. Both were young and inexperienced. "Oh I don't know Windy..." One said, it's eyes were full of doubt. "She seems like a trained fighter all right, a-and we could be kiled!" The frightened cat took a few steps back. They must have not been flatlined yet. Zemina thought.

"Well come on! I don't wanna be a trainee forever!" The one  known as Windy charged at her. Zemina jumped and pinned her. Putting a paw with unsheathed claws on the young tom's throat she demanded to the other cat, "What is your name!"

"Wha-?"

"I said what is your name!" Zemina growled louder. "B-Boulder." He shrank and cowered. "Well take me farther into this fortress, or I might think about showing your friend here the other side of the wall."

Boulder's voice was stuttering, he sounded as though he was about to cry. "Yes-s. P-P-Please don't h-hurt him!"

"Is the same said for Windy, I believe?" Zemina looked down at Windy and saw the cat too had widespread eyes. his head nodded quickly and you could hear whimpering from his throat. "Good. Now don't even think about running, because I will catch you and I might not be as friendly as I was here." Zemina removed her paw to take off her armor. Neither cat moved an inch, trying to still their trembling bodies. Once Zemina had taken off her armor she discarded it in the shadows.

Walking back to the cats she sat down. "Now listen, act as though we are family, going to buy something from the market here. We go past it and from then on we stick to the shadows. From there we go into Mau's dungeons-"

"But we will be punished if we-"

"Don't interrupt! Once we are in the Dungeons we will release whatever prisoners are left inside there. Don't expect them to be grateful for you releasing them, all of them will be hungry and some pretty sick. Now shall we go?"

Knowing they would have no choice the two cats nodded and silently followed Zemina, trying to look happy. Though in their hearts they were moaning in fear.

She waited in the crack a long time. Was it just a false alarm? Feeling she was safe Brook pulled herself out only to come in the sight of a silver she-cat staring right at her, perched on a dumpster. Freezing in fright her mind ran over things she could do. Run? Fight? Faint?!?! Brook was running out of options. She'd be captured for sure!