HOME | DD

Description

Her ears flattened on her head and she backed away from the den, head held low to the ground. She needed something familiar. This new home was not familiar to her, it held no memory. Quickly, the cheegar turned towards the exit of camp. She managed to climb silently on the tree above the silver’s den, moving swiftly and softly. She leaped into another tree, her frequent hours of practice lending the silence to her movements. Finally, Tolmi dropped to the ground, free of camp and the guards watching it.

She started running, the path to the old camp a familiar one to her. She could have done it with her eyes closed, from any point in the territory. It seemed like only the blink of an eye before she had reached the entrance, just the same as she had remembered it, except with a new blanket of snow.

The moonlight shone on the snow, brightening everything it touched. All was quiet, except in Tolmi’s mind. She could hear the echos of battle, screams of pain, fear, and despair. She could smell the blood, thick and dark ind metallic. Bile rose in her throat. Perhaps they had been right to move, the fond memories of this place had been tainted. Yet still, she found herself wandering inside, peeking around rocks and trees as though she was looking for all the cats that would normally be here, sleeping in their dens and sneaking around on their way to attempt to have a midnight adventure.

She knew they wouldn’t be there, but she kept hoping. Kept looking. And then she turned around, her breath hitching in her throat.

It was still there, standing as dark and tall and lonely as ever.

Her tree.

Memories started to surface, of hot summer days spent cooling off in the shade above ground, watching life go by. Dropping down on unsuspecting cats, then running off to hide and collapse in a pile of laughter. Hiding between those branches whenever she was in trouble, or sulking when Tolmi was mad. Even meeting Griffon for the first time. A short huff of laughter escaped her at that memory, breath making an appearance in a frozen puff of air.

The gold colored apprentice hooked her claws into the bark, pulling herself up the side and nestling into the branches. She still fit in her usual sleeping spot, suspended between two branches.

The apprentice was startled to discover hot tears rolling down her cheeks.She didn’t rightly know why she was crying, only that she couldn’t seem to be able to stop them from falling. She had made a resolve, down in the cages, to save her tears. She couldn’t afford to cry down there, it took too much energy and it was far more painful to cry and remember her empire than to fight.

Apparently, she had been saving them from her rescue. A mix of strong emotions ran through her; fear, sorrow, relief, sadness. She was back, she was alive, shouldn’t she feel joy? Happiness?

Wasn’t this all supposed to go back to normal?

She wished she could just forget about the city, forget about the death and the pain and move on with her life. Go back to the way she was before the raid, happy and fearless. Now, look at her. Crying in a tree about things she couldn’t control, like it would help. What was she doing?

Would it ever get better?

---------
And here's part two!! Third part will be a bit later, I may have to change it from what it is now.
Thoughts?

(from left to right)

Running figure is Griffon, (c) Moosekridge
Cat in tree is Haumea, (c) Hukya
Big lion is Domitius, (c) Wildfire-Tama
Head of cub/art/present day Tolmi (c) me

PART 1-
PART 2- you are here
PART 3-

Description

Her ears flattened on her head and she backed away from the den, head held low to the ground. She needed something familiar. This new home was not familiar to her, it held no memory. Quickly, the cheegar turned towards the exit of camp. She managed to climb silently on the tree above the silver’s den, moving swiftly and softly. She leaped into another tree, her frequent hours of practice lending the silence to her movements. Finally, Tolmi dropped to the ground, free of camp and the guards watching it.

She started running, the path to the old camp a familiar one to her. She could have done it with her eyes closed, from any point in the territory. It seemed like only the blink of an eye before she had reached the entrance, just the same as she had remembered it, except with a new blanket of snow.

The moonlight shone on the snow, brightening everything it touched. All was quiet, except in Tolmi’s mind. She could hear the echos of battle, screams of pain, fear, and despair. She could smell the blood, thick and dark ind metallic. Bile rose in her throat. Perhaps they had been right to move, the fond memories of this place had been tainted. Yet still, she found herself wandering inside, peeking around rocks and trees as though she was looking for all the cats that would normally be here, sleeping in their dens and sneaking around on their way to attempt to have a midnight adventure.

She knew they wouldn’t be there, but she kept hoping. Kept looking. And then she turned around, her breath hitching in her throat.

It was still there, standing as dark and tall and lonely as ever.

Her tree.

Memories started to surface, of hot summer days spent cooling off in the shade above ground, watching life go by. Dropping down on unsuspecting cats, then running off to hide and collapse in a pile of laughter. Hiding between those branches whenever she was in trouble, or sulking when Tolmi was mad. Even meeting Griffon for the first time. A short huff of laughter escaped her at that memory, breath making an appearance in a frozen puff of air.

The gold colored apprentice hooked her claws into the bark, pulling herself up the side and nestling into the branches. She still fit in her usual sleeping spot, suspended between two branches.

The apprentice was startled to discover hot tears rolling down her cheeks.She didn’t rightly know why she was crying, only that she couldn’t seem to be able to stop them from falling. She had made a resolve, down in the cages, to save her tears. She couldn’t afford to cry down there, it took too much energy and it was far more painful to cry and remember her empire than to fight.

Apparently, she had been saving them from her rescue. A mix of strong emotions ran through her; fear, sorrow, relief, sadness. She was back, she was alive, shouldn’t she feel joy? Happiness?

Wasn’t this all supposed to go back to normal?

She wished she could just forget about the city, forget about the death and the pain and move on with her life. Go back to the way she was before the raid, happy and fearless. Now, look at her. Crying in a tree about things she couldn’t control, like it would help. What was she doing?

Would it ever get better?

---------
And here's part two!! Third part will be a bit later, I may have to change it from what it is now.
Thoughts?

(from left to right)

Running figure is Griffon, (c) Moosekridge
Cat in tree is Haumea, (c) Hukya
Big lion is Domitius, (c) Wildfire-Tama
Head of cub/art/present day Tolmi (c) me

PART 1-
PART 2- you are here
PART 3-