Disclaimer: As always, I will never own any cast of Tortal but those that I create. sniff, sniff I know, I know. It’s quite sad really.

A/N: Sorry about this long period of waiting. As I said before, I am grounded and I’ve had my books taken away from me. Well, I’m back in the game. So here’s chappie 8. Now be nice boys and girls, it may be a bumpy ride. ::)

Chapter 8: A Horrible Day

I look at the letter again, then toss it onto my desk. If I read it correctly, my cousin will arrive at court today, as an ambassador for my mother’s kingdom. I snort at that thought. She was most likely coming down here to keep an eye on me for a while until Father and my brother could come and check up on me. Sighing, I toss the messenger hawk a dead mouse and send it on its way.

Great! Now I have to deal with my snobby cousin on top of training for the knighthood.

Sighing again, I get up and take my katanas down off of the wall and start my morning routine. I decided to cut my practice a little short today. I wanted to catch that Wolffang alone. And with no interruptions.

I place my katanas back on the wall and open my door. The water was there as usual, and I gabbed it to put in my bath. I sighed as I finished scrubbing my hair and got dressed. My clothes were that of the simple page wear of hose and shirt. Over that I dressed as anticipated, a over-shift with the symbols of my mother’s land; the silver tiger holding down an enemy down on a black field on the back and of my father’s land; a dragon-tiger in a menacing pose with broken spears around it on a blood red field.

Once dressed, I left my rooms. I had an inkling feeling about where Sosonokatsu was. Taking on that suspicion, I decide to leave Sakura while I went out to find him. I didn’t feel comfortable without my fire cat, she was like my security blanket, but I had to do this without her.

I saw him there, under that same tree again. This time I did not bring my paints; I wanted this meeting to be as formal as it could. His eyes were closed and breathing regular. I could not tell if he was sleeping or resting. Sighing, I sat down some ways away from him. I did not trust him any more than you could trust the wyrms that the Dark One created. There I sat in silence, waiting for him to notice me.

It didn’t take long. I believe my scent had awoken him, either that or he didn’t sleep and I had disturbed him. For no longer than one second after being seated had he stirred. His eyes shot open and he snapped up. At first he looked at me, them he rubbed his hand on his face. I think it was to make sure I did not paint on him again.

Upon seeing this, I smirked. Good! Now he will be wary of me. Not thinking that I was a docile little girl anymore, but a challenge and threatening. He glared at me, probably thinking that I was trying to trick him. But he could not hold the glare anymore. I sat down some ways away from him, in comfortable talking distance.

“So you have come to me. I thought you were pissed.”

“I was, am.”

“Why did you have to paint on me?” He shifted closer to me while he talked. Now he was right in front of me, his on my thigh.

I glare down at it for about a second, then jerked it away from me, as if burned. I looked down to hide then redness that had risen on my face from the touch. “I am no informant.” Sighing angrily, I glare into his face, for I had taken control of my feelings… and my body. “Just ... leave me alone.”

I shot up and started to run away. I didn’t care where I was going; I just wanted to go. My feet just moved without me thinking. When I finally stopped, I noticed that I was not near the palace anymore. These forests were unnatural to me and I did not know my way around. I didn’t even know exactly where I was. I had subconsciously used my teachings of twisting and turning, never going in a straight line for very long. It seems I have done it again, got myself into something that I couldn’t get myself out of.

Brother is going to have a litter of kitten when he hears about this little escapade!

I do the best thing that I can do; I sit down and think. Forcefully I calm myself. I know I look always calm and serene, either that or totally pissed, but never have I been this stressed before. I have never lost myself in some unknown country before.

It’s all his fault. If it weren’t for him in the first place, I never would have been confused.

Now you know that isn’t totally true. You are just as much to blame as he is.

“Where were you when I needed you? Huh?”

Now don’t start blaming me for your mistakes. I’ve told you hundreds of times to watch your actions, for they will lead you into trouble. Now if you think, you will be able to know what to do.

“Why can’t you just tell me?”

…

“Great, now I’m talking to myself. If anyone saw me they would think me crazy. Can things get any worse?”

Then the rain started pouring down. This is one horrible day. I must remember not to invoke the gods like that again. I hope that it wasn’t the Trickster who was doing this to me. My life just became like shit. When I get home, I’m going to take a hot bath and soak, then fall straight in bed.

Only after sulking for about fifteen minutes, I remember tracking. I could track my tracks all the way back to the castle. I get up, yawn, stretch and smiled with satisfaction upon hearing every vertebra in my back pop. I glance around until I spot what I’m looking for, a broken twig and crunched leaves that have my quickly fading scent on them. Chuckling to myself, I start to follow them.

I’m going to be in sooo much trouble when I get back to the palace. I am totally going to miss morning classes. Well first things first, I have to get back to the palace in order to accept my punishment for my actions.

Oh Goddess! I’m starting to sound like my brother! This cannot be good. What happened to ruin me so?

SNAP!

I froze in my tracks upon hearing that sudden sound. I did not expect it so in an extremely odd, but nice forest. Well there’s my problem there. I’ve got to start remembering important things, like in a quiet forest there's danger lurking! Birds even chirp while it’s raining, but they are silent when there are people around. Gulping, giving the look of innocent, I glance around. A man walked out of the forest. He looked like any other ordinary man, except I can smell others’ blood on him, however I give no indication of being able to, regular people can’t smell it.

Still feigning the look of innocent, I back up a step or two. From the look in his eyes I got a sudden chill. This was just no ordinary psychopathic killer but a professional. He was sizing me up for what I was worth. A captor?

He took a step towards me and others surrounded me. For one single second I felt actual fear run through me. Giving a yelp, I fall down on my butt. I frantically searched my mind but to no avail.

Now that isn’t going to do. When are you going to start thinking right? Stop this useless panic and use your skills girl! That’s what you have them for.

It was right. I always get help from that voice but I never knew where it came from. It was both male and female, human and nonhuman. I couldn’t rightly explain it, it was too … vas.

Stopping the useless mind babbling, I do what I can first; call Sakura. I should have called her in the first place! The second thing was to find out why I feared a human so. I closed my eyes and invoked my mage Sight. Looking through it, I see that he has a spell on him. The fear spell; makes your targets too afraid to do anything so that you can just come along and pluck them right up. Now that I knew what it was I could fix the problem.

I just Reached out and gripped the spell. Then I Pulled it, it was stuck on him pretty good. By the feel of it, the spell wasn’t his; someone had placed it on him. Probably his employer. Once it was free I Crushed it in my Grip. He somehow sensed that his little advantage was gone and signaled his goonies to get me. Well I was back in action, but all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there and back to the palace. I could tell them what was in their forests and let them deal with it.

I leapt up into the trees and disappeared from their sight. Now I stayed within the trees, but following my path. I then hear the snarl of Sakura in her big form. She was calling to me. Chuckling, I head in the direction that I heard her from, back where those men were. I was going to love this, I may even get Sakura to enjoy it a little.

Getting there, I see that she engaged herself into battle with these fools herself. She was actually handling herself pretty good for being still a cub. From where I am I take a big breath and snarl as loud and deep as an adult Neko Mata. I then leap through the trees, circling them, to the other side. There I roar again. I do that about eight more times, all from different spots. The looks on the bandits’ faces was priceless. They believed that a whole pride was coming after them for attacking one of their own, and they fled like children after a prank.

Chuckling some more, I leap down from the trees to look very dramatic in front of Sakura. She batted at me with her paw and did a fire cat version of rolling her eyes. I still had that mischievous glint in my eyes while I gloated at her. How many people are great at my abilities of being a Copy-Cat? I mean come on, it’s not everyday that a Copy-Cat chases away ten, eleven, twelve bandits at once.

“How come it is always me ending up saving you Sakura? I mean I call to you for help, yet it is me helping you.”

She didn’t answer me, but sidled up beside so that I could mount onto her back. I might get back in time for the end of my morning classes. This has turned out to one of my most horrible days ever!

Meanwhile

Kel was pacing back and forth frantically trying to think. The royal envoy of the Cyan was missing! They've searched the palace to no aval. She was starting to fret, if she wasn't the one who was teaching the kids, she would've already gone off of the palace grounds to search for her.

Kel jumped as someone wrapped their arms around her stomach and pulled her closer to his body. After one second of freezing up, she relaxed onto his chest.

"Oh Neal. What am I to do? I am the one who takes action, not sit around to wait for it to be done."

"There's no helping it. You've got to teach the greenies in order for them to be ready. I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she's taking a strole or a break or something."

"Neal, she's missed all of her morning classes! She is one of the very few who like to learn and pays attention. I have a tiny dreading of what might happen. If she is injured or killed because of us... well... that just might end in war! I don't want a war with a race ofunkown immortals that have built a civilization that may be as big if not bigger than ours. I just think about what happed at Fort Hope. What would've happened if it wasn't just those who were adults that were killed? What if it was the children too?"

"It wasn't so stop thinking about it. I was in that war too remember? I knew what havoc they wrecked upon our lands."

"You're right. She'll come back if she is not injured. Maybe she was just stressed and needed a break. I'll only start to worry if she is not back by tomarrow."

"In that case, I know something that we can do."

Kel eyes widened in surprise. "I have to go to weapons drill soon."

"But not right now."

Translations

Haku: white

Hanyou: half-breed

Inu: dog

Katana: a type of curved sword that Japanese samurai use, or in this case, Yamani samurai

Kimono: a Japanese outfit that the girls wore

Kobodou: fighting in close combat with weapons

Neko: a cat

Obi: the sash around the middle of the kimono to hold it shut

Sakura: the blossoms of a cherry tree

Sensai: a teacher or tutor

Sensu: a flip fan used in Japan

Youkai: demon

A/N: Well, there’s the end of one of my brilliant chapters. (mock bows: Thank you, thank you. You’re too kind.) Oh, those words I capitalized signified magic stuff, like magic Sight and Gripping, Pulling, things like that, just so that you aren’t confused. Any ways please review or I will call forth my evil minions of the undead hamsters and send them to ravish the Earth, searching for those who do not review. They will be brought to JUSTICE!!! ;;)