Part 1 "The Travelers"

THE BEGINNING.....

MystressKatt.....

The rain finally started to subside as the last few bodies fell. The sounds of metal and signs of struggle were still thick in the air.

The inhuman grunts and screams were slowly fading into seemingly massive and monotonous panting and rasping of the fighters left standing, out of breath from hours of battle.

When the final blow was struck, they all took a moment to observe the surroundings before they relaxed where they fell and took a much needed break...

MystressKatt.....

Facing the others, I slowly sink into a seated position, exhausted muscles burning. As I look sideways towards Bear I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. Three figures are slowly moving up to her.

Jumping to my feet, I start towards Bear at as fast a run as I can. Yelling in Cherokee "Bear dive/roll to your left now!". Stopping just long enough to prepare my claymore, I raise, and shifting it to be thrown like a javiline, I aim and throw with all my might.

What feels like slow motion, my sword cuts through the air swiftly then there is a loud thud then a second muffled thud. Two of the men that had paused to look my way when I yelled slowly look down. From the one closest to me, only the hilt of the claymore can be seen protruding from his chest, gasping as he takes his last breath. The man behind him starts screaming as he tries to pull out the tip of the sword from his belly but its ripping downwards as the first man collapses and he too dies.

The third man looks at me in horror and turns and begins to race off in the other direction. Springing into action, I uncurl my whip from its hook on my waist and shake it out. Raceing after him, when I get to the proper distance, I snap the whip and the tip snakes around the mans neck, jerking him backwards flat onto his back. Walking towards him, he looks up at me, shaking in terror. The closer I get I see he is so young I wonder if he has even seen his 18th year.

Grabbing him by the throat, I yank him to his feet and lift him a few inches off the ground. Snarling "Boy, who do you think you are, attempting to attack a woman from behind!" As I watch the tears of fear fall from his eyes, I soften slightly. Placing him back on his feet, I lighten my grip on his throat. Turning him towards the site of bodies scattered in "piles" where my companions and I stood our grounds. "Go back to your master boy, and tell him his pitiful little army is lost. Then you go home and spend the rest of your days with your family. If I EVER find out you've become a mercenary again, I'll hunt you like a mouse and slice you up bit by bit."

Watching him run away, stumbling in his terror, I crack up laughing as the blood lust slowly fades from my eyes. Turning towards Bear "What is it about you that attracts such strange people?" and laugh again. Sinking again to my rear, I glance down at myself and realize that I'm covered in blood streaks and bloodied mud. Twisting my head towards Phang "You got any umpff left to make a shower to clear this blood away?" and laugh as he looks at me like I'm nuts.

LittleBearWolf.....

* I do as Katt told me to do. I dive and roll to my left so they do not get me or that Katt does not hit me.

*I look at Katt and wonder where she learn to speak Cherokee? Then look at the dead bodies on the ground and think who could they be from? Then remember my adopted brother said he would kill me after my father renounced him after he tried to have me killed. So I walk to the bodies and look for any sign of my brother. I see one man has my brothers clan tattoo but I do not think it is real. Then I take a look in his pockets and find a spell my brother tried using before and know it is real.

*Starts reading the spell but changing his name for mine so that the spells does not harm me or any one around me. Then I snap my fingers and have a small fire burning and burn the spell so that it goes and makes my ex-adopted brother very sick and will die if he ever tries to drink blood from any one again.

*Then see my daughter coming from the woods I start to smile and hold out my arms to her as she run to my arms. I tell everyone "I would like you all to meet my daughter Tamazine Wolf."

TamazineWolf.....

*Runs out of the woods and sees my mom with open arms so I start running into them. Then I see mom is not alone and cuddles closer to her.

*hears mom saying in a very soft whisper it ok they friends I relaxaes.

"Hello all and do please call me Tam my mom does it and i am so used to hearing it more then my full name. It is very nice to meet you all.

MystressKatt.....

Watching the strange young lady run to Bear, I tense at first but then realize she would pose no threat. Listening to Bear introduce her daughter, I smile and greet her "Greetings Tam. Nice to meet you. I'm Mystress Krazy Katt but my friends call me Katt or Basketcase or Goofball or KAAATTTT....feel free to choose whichever you like best. I'll answer." and laugh loudly at Tam's expression before flopping onto my back, sprawling out.

Realizing something is wrong a second later, I tiredly jump up and wander over to grab my sword out of the men it was still stuck in. Looking at the goo sliding down it, I grab it with both hands and plunged it to the hilt into the ground. Pulling it out, I am check again and as most of the slime is gone, I sheath it, making a mental note to clean and sharpen it after I'm rested. Going back to the ladies, I once again sink to my tush and lean tiredly on my knees, head bent but ears listening to every sound.

TamazineWolf.....

looks at Katt and wounders is i get to now call her Auntie Katt or will mom scold me for doing so? Reachs in and pulls out a sucker and starts eating it then walks to Auntie Katt and hands her one looks like you need some sugar.

MystressKatt.....

Taking the sucker, I pop it into my mouth. "MMM cherry. Thank you Tam. Sugar is exactly what I need." and give her a wink and smile.

JondalarGhosty

*appears beside momma* "Momma, yu otay? yu sure was fightening a long time! yu's friends all be otay. I figured yu would want me to make sure. "

*appears in front of aunt Bear* "who's ya new friend? her gonna play wif me? I'd like ta have a playmate" *whispers* "Momma be fun to play wif but her too much a momma at times"

LittleBearWolf.....

looks up at jon and says yes she will be your playmate as long as she can see you.
this is my daughter tam. she is a young lady who loves to play and have fun

TamazineWolf.....

hiya jon nice to meet you but why can me see you mommy threw you?
get alittle scared and snuggles me mama. mama can him have a sucker? auntie kat why me see you ? what is wrong with him?

MystressKatt.....

Looking sadly at Tam, I smile while forcing the tears to stop. "Tam, Jondalar is my son. The reason you can see me through him is because he is a ghost. He was killed many years ago. I am a sorceress and at the moment of his death, I cast a very powerful spell. His body died but his spirit escaped and now he is with me. He can play and do a lot of things children do. He's very good at getting my animals to help him do things. I'm sure you two will have tons of fun once you get to know each other." and wink at her then Jon.

Slowly rising to my feet, I stretch and begin walking towards the sound of water gurgling. Once I reach the nearly hidden stream, I walk into the water after dropping my weapons. Sinking completely under, I swim for a ways then heading towards the shore, I grab some sand and begin scrubbing the filth from my skin and clothes. Diving under again I rub the sand off me completely then head back towards the group, gather an arm full of wood.

Once back where the others are, I drop the wood and wave a hand over it "Lowe" (flame) and the wood ignites. "Come warm yourselves. I'll go hunting in a little while for food."

JondalarGhosty.....

Lookin at the girl "There nutting wrong wif me, I's just a ghosty." *watchs momma walk silently away* "poor momma, her always wonders if her did the goodest thing wif dat spell. I wishs her wood know Is glad her did." *looks back at girl* "So what kind of sucker you gots? momma an i, we likes cherry the best."

LiquidPhang.....

I rip a piece of cloth from a dead body and wipe my blade clean just before sheathing it. Seems these days I've been using Ameya's staff more than Ruby's Athame. As I look around at all the dead bodies I think to myself Hmmm...only 73 tonight. Not much more than the night before, I must not be as fierce as I thought. Wonder how many the others slew tonight...

Out the corner of my eye I see Katt caught herself a live one, though it's no surprise she let him go. At such a young age he's better off drinking mother's milk straight from the tap. As scarred as he seemed he'll more than likely get lost along the way before his senses return to him. Such easy prey, but I quickly shrug off the idea in observation of another figure emerging from the woods.



Seeing how she took to Bear told me she's no threat to us and I decide maybe tomorrow would be a better day to hunt down that boy and teach him what war is all about. I disspell Ameya's staff and gaze at her pendant whilst sitting on the ground, back propped up against a stack of bodies. Memories of old days begin to fill my being, remembering the many battles Ameya and I have been through in the past. The blood soaked sands were an image that were almost always left behind whenever Ameya and I continued our journeys across India. Much like the blood soaked land I sit in today...

MystressKatt.....

Standing over the fire long enough to dry off, I decide its time for some food. Dropping all my war gear and leather I morph to Kat.

She wanders over to Bear and Tam and gently rubs against them, a rough rumble coming from her throat. After a few moments and nearly knocking Tam over, she wanders over to Phang and nuzzles him before bounding off.

Once in the woods she starts sniffing different trails left by the wood creatures. Eventually she crosses the fresh scat of bull elk and begins tracking. A short time later she finds a huge bull elk standing grazing in a meadow. Silently she slowly slinks towards him. About 20 yards from the elk, she lays down before suddenly flying into action, leaping in huge bounds. She slashes with her left paw, ripping muscle down to the bone on the elks right flank. Jumping back as the elk whirls towards her, she jumps again and slashes his chest. As the enraged bull again whirls to attack she swiftly gets out of reach of his deadly horns. Again and again she leaps in and slashes, never letting the elk move more then a few feet when he tries to flee.

A while later the blood covered elk begins to shake, wearily watching his attacker. No longer having the strength to attack, he wheels around and tries to race off. Kat jumps onto his back and sinks her fangs deep into his neck, trying to break it. She leaps off and dives under to grasp his throat, dragging him down with her heavy weight, her hind paws digging into his belly. A short while later the elk sighs his last breath and Kat relaxes and catches her breath. After resting for a while, she begins dragging her prize to the group.

Once in site of the group she tiredly chuffs to let the others know where she is at in the darkness and waits.

LiquidPhang.....

Seeing what Katt dragged in, I rise and meet her with the others by the fire. I withdraw my Athame and reach into the bag of herbs at my side. I sprinkle a few powders and dried leaves over the open wounds of the dead elk to get rid of blood and other fluids preventing me from seeing inside the corpse. Using the Athame I tear open a rift a million spans from us and chant some words in Hindu. As I do I begin to tear at certain parts of the elk, tapping bone and useless organs and portions of skin with the Athame. Moments later those parts of the elk seem to lift right off and out of its body and thrust themselves into the rift.

Once all is said and done the rift closes and I combine the Athame with Ameya's pendant and begin to section off the elk. Then I reach into my bag of herbs and sprinkle some dust over the fire, intensifying it but not too much to be too hot or give off any more smoke than necessary. I gather the weapons of the fallen, purify them at a nearby spring and construct a means of cooking the meat over the fire with them.

TamazineWolf.....

sorry auntie kat for up setting you. what kind of animals do you get to play with jon and can me play too?
i got cherry or grape suckers and if me not got enough me go raid papa grimmy chair he leave me cany there

LittleBearWolf.....

Phang meet my daughter Tam she is 1 of my 2 children . watches kat rud up against me and i reach down and pet her and tell her to hurry up we got to feed the kids. giggling
takes tams hand and leads her to the stream kat left and give her time to wash up then dives im and wash off all the grim from my flesh get out and smells something cooking as i walk back to where phang was left and see jon picking on one of the dogs and see tam run over to where she see jon

MystressKatt.....


Kat watchs Phang closely while laying nearby. Once the meat begins to cook, she closes in and nuzzles him for a moment then begins to groom his head. After several moments she licks one particular spot, causing him to have a curl. Looking him in the eye, she chuffs then rubs his face with hers. Twisting away she snitchs a piece of meat from the fire then goes and sits to watch the children torment one of the dogs.

Laying down on her paws, she begins stalking her "prey", slowly moving an inch at a time. Realizing she may scare the little girl, she decides to not pounce and just continues to crawl forward. Making the typical "stinky" face (scrunchs nose and bares teeth). When Jon finally sees her, he giggles at kats expression and "hops" onto her back, knowing she wants to play. Jon tells Tam to climb up on her back and when she does, after Jon shows her how to hold on, kat stands and begins to walk slowly at first then gradually getting faster as she feels the girl relax and giggle. Trotting around she hops over a fallen tree, before heading back to the fire. After the kids clamber off, she nuzzles Tam lightly and morphs back to Katt.

Laughing at the kids expression, I gather my weapons and plop down to clean and sharpen them. Thinking while I clean, I catch site of the bodies and decide to take care of them. Raising my arms I begin to glow with purple light "Faw til't birrial" (begin burial). The light leaps from me and hits the ground. There is a horrendous groan and a huge crack appears in the earth near the middle of the body piles. The bodies then begin to rise, straighten out, and then slip into the crack. After all the bodies are in the crack, it closes, leaving no sign of bodies.

Looking towards Bear and Phang "How long till the foods done? I'm starved".

TamazineWolf.....

falls down laughing that was fun auntie kat . hey jon is the dog alowed to sleep in our room if we ever get a room? smells what uncle phang is cooking and wounders if he will make us eat our veggies? me not like veggies i want suckers. then runs to jon and reach out and tags him you is it and runs off and hides!

LittleBearWolf.....

watches as kat plays with the kids and start laughing then wounder why i feel one of us is missing then remember raven walks off from ever one and starts looking for him in the dead bodieshoping i do not find him there. i can not feel him in the dead bodies so i keep looking starting to get worried. then i feel some one nnear but know it not raven cause this person smells part dead already then i see ziek and tell him to come thins way back to where the others are.

MystressKatt.....


Watching the kids a little bit while working on my weapons, I tuck my head down, slightly embarassed at wanting another rug rat. Shaking my head at the silly thoughts, I watch Bear moving around then. After she gets Ziek moving to us, I go snitch a piece of meat. Chewing on it, "He's just wandered off by himself for a while. Raven will come back when he's ready." *looks toward the direction I know he's at whistfully and send him a mental hug and kiss* "Although I hope he doesn't stay away too long."

After my weapons are cleaned and sharpened again, I look towards the sky. "Sunrise is only a couple hours away. I'm going to go scouting around for a safe place for us to sleep."

Whistling, Feather Feet and the dogs come to me at a run. Hoping onto FF, I set him to a trot and begin searching the surrounding areas for anything that will work to protect the groups vampires for the day. After 45 minutes of searching I finally find an abandoned wolf den. Marking the area, I head back to the group and tell them what I found.

LittleBearWolf.....

*sends kat am whisper you can have my son . he is a bigger brat then my daughter. giggles~ start woundering if my son is ok with his father.
then get some meat and eats it while waiting for kat to get back . watching the kids play as tam teases jon i tell her that is not nice and to behave .jon starts floating above her and she starts wining so i tell her to get over her and sit down till she can play nicely.
send kat a message hurry up and get back here these kids need bed time giggles

MystressKatt.....

Deciding to be a smart ass, I kick Feather into a thunderous full out run about a mile from the group. Watching carefully to where everyone is, I jump FF over the cooking fire, reaching down and snitching another piece of meat and race off laughing. Circling the area, I slow FF down and go over to Tam. Reaching an arm down to her "Want a ride?" and pull her up to sit in front of me and kick FF into motion again. Keeping a firm grip on the child, I jump Feather over some downed trees, laughing at her excited giggles. When FF starts breathing hard, I slow him and again head back to the fire, set Tam down then take care of cooling the horse off.

TamazineWolf.....

giggles as me and auntie katt ride off on ff. hey auntie kat can me and jon play some more or is it time for me and him to go to bed yet? and where we doing to sleepy? how come uncle phang cooking when it mommy job?

Raven.....

Seeing the fire in the distance I start walking toward it. I see Katt ride a little girl around on FF. Stumbling into the light I hold my wounded side and say "Hey did ya miss me." Then I fall to the ground.