• Prologue

    A dark figure crept through the halls of the temple, his boots thudding against the floor planks. His eyes glowed with determination and fear. The light of the lantern swinging in his hand cast long shadows in the darkness. He glanced out the window as he passed by. Nothing stirred, inside or out, and the stillness of the night made keeping quiet even harder. “What are we doing here?” his comrades’ voice sounded from behind him. He turned around to see him face to face. “It’s been explained a million times already!” His voice shook in an effort to keep quiet. “Now just do what you’re told and keep quiet!” He shot his comrade a warning glance as his mouth opened to object. They crept through the temple, their dark clothes blending them into the darkness of the empty hallway. The leader dimmed the lantern, making them nothing more than shadows on the walls.
    The thudding of boots was silenced as the two stopped outside a large, elegant door. He reached his hand out; rings glittering in the dim light of the lantern, and slid open the door. The smell of incense flooded over them, mixed with the smell of herbs. He blew out the lantern, sending the room into darkness. He waited for his eyes to adjust before entering the room. Many herbs and supplies were stacked against one wall. Priestess robes hung from a hook on the wall beside a mirror. A water bucket sat in the corner for bathing, and beside it a towel laid on the floor. The large, colorful bed in the middle of the room stood out against the white walls. The two men crept forward towards the bed, trying to keep their boots silent. He reached for the knife in his belt, its silver blade piercing the darkness. His hand shook as his gaze rested on the figure lying in the bed.
    Her long silver hair draped over the side of the bed, each strand shining in the starlight that shone through the window. Her soft skin glowed pale as the moon. Her hand lay on her chest, rising and falling with her gentle breathing. Her lips betrayed the trace of a smile. Her dreams must be sweet. He thought with a pang of guilt. His comrade put a hand on his shoulder, urging him to fulfill their mission. The knife glittered in the starlight for a moment before it was thrust into the stomach of the sleeping woman. Her deep blue eyes shot open and a muffled grunt escaped her lips as blood trickled down them. A tear rolled down her cheek as their eyes met, and his lip quivered with sadness. “I’m sorry.” He mouthed. He pulled the knife out and wiped it with the cloth in his pocket. He replaced the knife in his belt and sat on the bed beside her.
    Her blood trickled out of the wound in her stomach and from her mouth. The smell of blood stung the man’s nose as he sat staring at her. Her blue eyes, which held so much life and love, began to dull as death pulled her though its door. Her hand moved from her chest to her stomach to try and stop the bleeding. More grunts came from her as more and more of her blood spread onto the bed sheets. Her hand shook as she reached her hand out and touched his cheek. He felt the warm blood on his cheek as her hand fell and hung over the side of the bed. One last tear rolled down her cheek and sparkled in the starlight. He wiped the tear away, his hand lingering on her warm cheek before removing his hand from her. Her shallow breathing soon faded away. The gentle rise and fall of her chest stopped, leaving her motionless.
    “We must go. The rest will wonder what has taken us so long.” His comrade whispered beside him. He waved his hand, signaling for him to leave. “I’ll catch up with you later,” He rasped sadly, “Just let me be for a moment.” He heard the door slide behind him as he gazed at the woman. Even in death, your beauty prevails above all others. He thought as his hand brushed her bangs out of her eyes. The deep pools of blue were glazed with death and stared at nothingness. “Goodbye Alakai…” He whispered, making his way out the door. Pain gripped his heart as he crept down the hallway and out of the temple to the village below. He broke into a run as soon as the temple doors were open. He didn’t even wait for his comrades to catch up with him. What have I done?



    Chapter 1

    Darkness enveloped the village. No moon hung in the night sky, and an eerie silence gripped the land. Even the wind stopped blowing. It was as though the world was holding its breath. The large temple at the top of the hill loomed over the village houses. All was quiet in the temple except for the soft breathing of sleeping people. All was peaceful, except for Anouk tossing and turning in her bed. Her dreams were filled with darkness and pain.
    The silence of the night was broken by the sound of dripping water. Anouk sat up from her bed, puzzled. She was sure everyone should be asleep by now. It was much too late for anyone to go out to the well and bring back water. Anouk crawled out of bed, her little feet tapping against the wooden floor of the temple. She slid the door open slowly, trying not to wake anyone. She crept down the hallway, her silver eyes adjusting to the darkness of the moonless night. She stopped when she came to the turn in the hallway. Something felt horribly wrong. She turned and ran down the narrow hallway. She ran up the stairs, the sound of her thudding feet echoing throughout the temple. She skidded to a halt in front of her mothers’ door. Something told her to run, get help, get out of that place. She ignored the feeling; she had to see her mother. Anouk slid the door open cautiously, poking her head in. “Mother?” No reply. “Mother... Alakai...”
    The sound of dripping grew louder. Anouk crept across the room to her mothers’ bed. She felt sticky liquid on her feet, but she ignored it. Her mothers’ hand hung limply off the side of the bed. Anouk reached out and touched her hand, more of the sticky liquid getting on her hand. She lit the lantern shakily, fearing what the sticky liquid was that covered the floor of her mothers’ room. Anouk felt her stomach lurch as the lantern illuminated the room. A scream came from the open doorway. Someone had heard Anouks thumping feet and went to investigate. The temple was alive within moments, but Anouk took no notice. Time stood still in the room and the voices from outside were nothing more than muffled cries of pain and sadness.
    Anouk blinked herself awake, her heart nearly in her throat. She jumped out of bed and ran down the hallway and up the stairs. She saw a figure dash into the darkness, but her attention was on the door in front of her. Anouk held her breath as she slid the door open. Her heart skipped a beat as she lit the lantern and made her way across the room to her mothers’ side. Taking her hand, she felt the warm, sticky liquid in her little palm. Tears began rolling down her face as she realized what the sticky liquid was. Red blood dripped from her mothers’ dangling hand and onto the floor. Anouk sadly closed her deep blue eyes that stared into nothingness. She curled up at her mothers’ side, burying her face in the nook of her neck. Her warmth had not yet been taken by the cold grip of death. Her long, silver hair still smelled like the herbs she used to cleanse herself. Voices began filling the temple, but they were nothing more than murmurs to Anouk as she lay grieving her mother. She moved her hand along her mothers’ still warm cheek, smearing blood across it.
    Someone came into the room, a lantern in their hand. They came over and grabbed Anouk, separating her from her mother. Their large hands wrapped around her tiny wrists. She screamed as she tried to pull away. She wanted to be with her mother, not with the person who was dragging her down the hallway. Tears streaked down her cheeks as she screamed in protest. Finally, the person just picked her up and ran down the stairs and back to her room. The person laid her on the bed, stroking her hair sympathetically. Anouks crying turned to nothing more than uneven breaths. She laid her head on the pillow without even changing into a clean nightgown. She tried to fight back sleep, but her puffy eyes closed reluctantly. Her sleep was not peaceful. Her mind was filled with memories of her mother, making her weep in her sleep. She wished that all that had happened was only a dream… a terrible nightmare. She wished that her mother would be holding her when she awoke, consoling her against her warm cheek. But she knew that after she woke, there would be no warm embrace. She would no longer smell the smell of herbs on her mothers’ beautiful silver hair, or see the beauty of her smile, or feel the warmth of her embrace.
    ~~
    Brilliant sunlight poured into Anouks bedchamber. Her blue eyes fluttered open at the light. She sat up, pulling the blankets off of her. She brushed her long white hair and washed quickly. She gathered her robes and dressed. The dress she wore was off white, almost tan, with white trim. The black jacket she had on had elegant white designs, and a headband to match. Attached to the headband was a white veil that went down her back and almost to her feet. She stopped and looked at herself in the mirror for a moment. She looked so much like her mother… Her eyes were the same oval shape as her mothers’ though they were not as deep blue. Her long white hair hung over her shoulders and down her back. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes as a tear fell. She hated the mirror; she reminded herself so much of her mother. They even smelled the same, since they cleansed themselves with the same herbs. It had been ten years since her mother had died. Her death was devastating to everyone in the country, and around the world. She was the priestess who kept the peace in the world by keeping the spirits in each temple safe.
    Because of her death, a war had broken out. General Bane had blamed her death on the demons. The lord of the demons, Lord Okiru, was furious. He launched an attack on the land of Taran, on Anouk’s home. They were stationed on the border of Taran and demon country, waiting to get their revenge. Lord Okiru and Alakai had an agreement that the humans and demons would live in peace. After her death, the agreement was broken by General Bane. He launched an attack on the demons, accusing them of Alakai’s death. Many men were killed that day, along with many demons. Now that Alakai was gone, it was Anouk’s job to keep the peace and lead the humans. There was no king or queen simply because the priestesses and priests that ruled the temple were not tempted by greed and always wanted peaceful resolves.
    Anouk heard her name being called from outside. “I’m coming!” She slipped her black sandals on and slid her door open. Standing there was Yuna, one of her protectors. Her orange kimono clung to her frame tightly, showing her beautiful curves and the dark orange scarf she wore brushed against her legs. A white band around her head kept her bangs from her eyes, and her naginata leaned against her shoulder, its silver blade shimmering in the sunlight. The long staff-like shaft stood a little taller than she. Her brown hair draped down over her shoulders and her green eyes sparkled as she looked at her friend. Yuna was only a year or so older than Anouk, yet she acted much younger. Yunas family owned a farm on the outskirts of the village and they visited the temple often. The two were like sisters; when Alakai died, Yuna trained to protect Anouk. And now there she stood, waiting to escort her friend outside to the village.
    The two made their way down the hallway and descended the staircase. Waiting by the front door was Sedar, Yunas older brother and Anouks other protector. His dark brown hair brushed his shoulders. The armor he wore seemed heavy to Anouk and the weapons he wore looked even heavier, but it didn’t seem to bother him. The hilt of his sword rested perfectly on his belt while he hoisted his battle ax on his shoulder. His smile was sweet as Anouk approached him, like a brother to a little sister-which is what they were like. They made their way outside after a brief moment. The sunlight was even brighter now that they were outside; Anouk had to shade her eyes in order to see. Once her eyes adjusted, she saw the home she had known her whole life.
    Rolling green hills expanded as far as the eye could see. Some farms were scattered here and there, far away from the hustle of the village. The houses of the village seemed puny compared to the enormous temple. The wind tugged at their clothing playfully, as though trying to pull them along through the town. The three picked their way down the stairs and down the pathway to the village. The houses clustered together; they were cramped compared to the spacious lands of the temple. Yuna’s orange kimono glowed in the sunlight. “It’s beautiful today!” Yuna exclaimed, clearly happy with the warm sunlight on her skin. She skipped down the street like a child. She stopped every once in a while to wait for Anouk and Sedar. The two walked more slowly with each other, taking in the beauty of the day. They were in no hurry to get into the Town Square. The two took in every detail of the day.
    People bowed to Anouk as she and her protectors passed. Anouks cheeks turned red; she hated being the center of attention. She flipped the veil over to cover her face in an attempt to hide her embarrassment. One elderly woman came limping up to her and thrust herself at Anouks feet. Her cries rang out through the town. “Why is this happening? Why are you allowing this war to go on? What have those men done to deserve death at the hands of demons?” Her tears soaked Anouks dress. Sedar went to thrust the woman away, but Anouk stopped him. She took the woman’s hands and helped her stand up. “Why do you say these things?” The woman held her gaze steadily. “You only allow this war to go on because it was your mother who died. If it were any other head priestess, you would’ve stopped the war years ago.” Anger boiled up inside Anouk. She had to fight to keep calm. There was some truth in the woman’s words, but that did not give her the right to criticize Anouk. “I do not stop the war because I can’t. It was Alakai’s job to keep the spirits of the temples safe. After her death, the temples were vandalized and the spirits felt they were in danger and left. If I could, I would return the spirits to their homes and return peace.”
    Understanding and sympathy flashed in the woman’s eyes. “I-I’m sorry…” she stammered, backing away from Anouk. From the look on everyone else’s faces, Anouk could tell that they had heard. Her cheeks turned even brighter red as she noticed all eyes on her. She turned and walked away quickly, hoping to avoid their stares. Yuna and Sedar followed closely behind her. They made their way back to the temple in no time. Anouk was glad to be in a place where she was not the center of attention. Her feet carried her up the stairs and to her room. Yuna and Sedar still followed her, making sure she was alright. When they got to her door, she turned to her friends. “I’m going to rest a bit. You two go ahead and relax.” She closed the door behind her after the two had gone. She lay on her bed, her eyes staring at something only she could see.
    The old woman’s voice rang in her ears. You only allow this war to go on because it was your mother who died. If it were any other head priestess, you would’ve stopped the war years ago. Tears rolled down her cheeks. These words were true, partially anyway. If it were any other priestess, she probably would’ve ended the war after only a couple of years. But, she thought, if it were any other priestess, my mother would still be here… She buried her face in the pillow trying to push the thoughts away. But that’s not the point. The fact is that I can’t stop this war unless I figure out how to return the spirits to their temples. Her mind whirled with thoughts. She looked at the painting of her and her mother. Mother, I wish you were here now… One more tear rolled down her cheek before she laid her head on the pillow and fell asleep.
     
    Chapter 2

    Bright sunlight filtered in through the hole in the tent. A name called from outside. “Kida! Kida! Training is starting! GET UP!” Two black dog ears turned towards the sound. Kida lifted her head, her short black hair sticking in all directions. Sunlight made the blonde streaks in her hair turn almost white. She shook her head, flattening some of the hair down. Her tail waved behind her as she stood and got dressed. She tied the corset in the back and the long black and white sleeves nearly covered the full length of her arms. The black shorts she wore went down to her knees, and the boots went halfway up her thigh. She brushed her hair and tail quickly as her wolf friend, Anya, sat up lazily. “Come on Anya! Training continues today.” She grabbed her sword and hooked it to her belt loop as she ran out of her tent.
    She almost knocked Korha over as she burst out of her tent flap. “Watch it!’ her friend wailed as she caught herself. Her long, brown tail poofed out to twice its size and her ears twitched as she looked Kida up and down. Her brown jacket only came down to the middle of her torso, with a white shirt underneath it. Her brown shorts were just as long as Kida’s and her belt held many weapons and supplies. Her boots came up to her knee, and it looked like there were knives within it. Her short blonde hair blew gently in the wind, barely touching the back of her neck. She dusted herself off and punched Kida’s shoulder playfully. “Come on before the commander yells at us!” She sprinted off in the direction of the rest of her squad. Kida shook her head and laughed to herself before sprinting off after her friend.
    Kida stopped beside Korha at the edge of the group, her brown eyes scanning the group of people. There were some demons with horns, some with animal ears, some with tails, and some with wings and beaks. She saw three familiar faces among them. Karana, Oki, and Ariashii all stood in a line together looking intently at the officer explaining the exercises. Karana was a horned demon who kept to herself most of the time. Oki and Ariashii were two fox demons who were always together. Oki was more childish and playful, while Ariashii was more of a party girl who had her quiet moments. The three girls were in hers and Korhas group when they went through the course. They were the group that usually got finished first, or who got the best score. Today’s challenge was just like any other. They were to go through the course, hitting as many targets as possible. Each team had a different color; theirs was red. Instead of suiting up like the others, they grabbed their guns and blunt weapons with the red paint on them and waited for the others.
    Bang! The beginning shot was fired. The group darted off in a V shape with Kida at the lead. They raced through the trees, their guns and swords hitting each target, leaving red paint on them. Korha put a little of the red paint on her claws and scraped them across a few of the targets as though they were scratching posts. Kida jumped from tree to tree, hitting the targets that were on their trunks with the heel of her boot. The group moved quickly through the course. Then, the trees cut off to a large clearing. The group stopped, not knowing what came next. Each time the clearing held a different challenge. Last time it was an obstacle course, and the time before that, a marsh. The five demons stood in a circle back to back, waiting to see what this challenge was. Kida gripped her sword while the others grabbed their weapons of choice. The bushes rustled and more demons came busting through the greenery. It’s an ambush! She thought, the light of battle shining in her eyes.
    The first demon that came at her was a winged demon. Its large black wings loomed over Kida as it swiped at her with its long spear. She dodged each blow with a blow of her own sword in return. Red paint splattered on her clothes as though her sword had actually cut the demon. One final blow to his shoulder knocked him to the ground and the next demon came rushing at her. It was a wolf demon like her; it was Ayo. The two circled each other a moment, their tails lashing. Ayo was the first to make a move. She dashed at her with her sword in hand. Kida avoided the blunt sword just moments before Ayo was where she was standing. Without hesitation she hit Ayo with the sword, staining her chest with paint and knocking the breath out of her. Kida took advantage of her moment of weakness. She grabbed the sword slid it across Ayo’s throat, painting it red. She fell to the ground as though dead.
    Kida glanced around at her friends as they fought off more demons. Korha was delivering the final blow to a horned demon, sending him to the ground with a large thud. Karana fought with a winged demon that flew up just out of her reach. She threw her knives at him, one hitting his wing and sending him down to her level. She rammed him with her horns and knocked the breath out of him, sending him fleeing to the trees. Oki and Ariashii fought a cat demon together. Oki seemed to have injured her leg for she limped a little. Their tails were poofed out to nearly twice their sizes as they fought claw to claw with the cat demon. Ariashii raked her claws against the cat demons chest as Oki bit down on her tail with her sharp fangs. The cat demon let out a yowl of pain as she ran off into the safety of the trees. All five of the girls sat down and panted. Kida half expected more demons to charge through the trees and attack them all. She raised her sword as the bushes rustled, but relaxed as the commander stepped out. His short black hair covered his little horns, and his large, gray, bird-like wings spread out behind him.
    “Congratulations. You five fought well today.” Pride glowed in his eyes as he looked over each of them in turn. His eyes rested on Kida. “You are a great leader.” She turned her ears away to hide her embarrassment. Her cheeks burned as she noticed that her friends were looking at her proudly too. “Th-Thank you…” She stammered. The demons that were in the fighting stood and shook the dirt from their clothes and circled around her. Kida smiled at Ayo who gave her a courteous nod. “Let’s get back to the rest of the soldiers.” The commander announced to the group. “Any demons that were in the fighting here get some rest.” His icy gaze rested on Kida for a moment before he turned and walked away. Kida followed him with her friends following closely behind.
    ~~
    “Ugh! I wish they would serve us better food!” Korha complained beside Kida. “Just be glad they’re feeding us!” Karana retorted, hungrily scarfing down the food before her. Korha was right, the food was disgusting, but they didn’t have to feed them at all. Oni and Ariashii shared a bowl of the gruel. Ariashii wrapped Oni’s leg with a piece of cloth. The cat demon had bitten it and punctured her skin, but she had done the same to the cat demons tail. Anya lay curled up by Kida’s leg, her tail covering her tiny black nose. “We need to celebrate!” Korha suddenly said. She pulled a couple bottles of whiskey out of her jacket and held it up for all of them to see. “Look what I snatched from the generals’ secret stash!” Her tail waved behind her happily as she took a drink and passed it around. She gave the second one to Kida with a smile. “You deserve this. You led us well out there.” She purred and the others nodded their heads. Kida smiled and took the bottle. She took a few drinks and stood. She grabbed Korha and spun her around. “Let’s dance!”
    ~~
    Kida awoke the next morning to the sound of a trumpet. Her ears twitched. Her head was pounding and her body was sore. She sat up slowly as the trumpet went on playing. She rubbed her head as Anya licked her feet. An empty whiskey bottle lay next to her bed. “Oh yeah…” Every one of her muscles screamed in protest as she got up and dressed herself. Bright sunlight met her as she made her way out of the tent and into the center of the camp. It seemed as though her friends were just as hung over as she was. Each of them rubbed their heads and looked as though they had been through hell and back. She laughed a little to herself as she noticed how poofy Korha’s tail looked. Kida figured she didn’t look any better than any of them. Her ears pricked curiously as the commander stepped down from the small stage where he made announcements. He stood at the base of the stage as though he were not the one that was going to speak. From the look on her friends’ faces, they looked just as confused as Kida.
    A winged demon stepped onto the stage. His short, spiked hair was as black as his clothing; even his large bat-like wings were black. The only color he had was his piercing gold eyes. He wore leather pants with long combat boots. His shirt seemed to have been made up of belts and strands of materials. The sleeves cut off just before the shoulder, and his long leather gloves went up to his elbow. He walked onto the stage with dignity, showing his high status. Kida’s jaw nearly dropped at the sight of him. She stared wide-eyed at him as he began to speak. Someone behind her began talking; she shot them a warning glance and they silenced themselves. “I am Lord Okiru, lord of (demon country).” Lord Okiru… Kida thought, her ears twitching with interest. If he’s here, it must be something important…
    “You all must be wondering why I’m here.” He said with a glance around the crowd. “As you all know, we are at war because the humans have declared that it was us who killed the high priestess Alakai many years ago…” Pain flashed in his eyes as he said her name. A wave of anger swept through the crowd as they were reminded of the ignorance of the humans. Few spoke up.
    “Why would we kill her?”
    “What would be the point in killing her?”
    “Do they think we wanted this war?”
    Lord Okiru silenced them with a wave of his hand. “It doesn’t matter why they think we did it. The point is that we didn’t and we must settle this dispute. Ten years is far too long for a war to drag on over one death…” Again, pain flashed in his eyes. “Now, I am here because I want to take a group of you to accompany me to talk to the leader of the humans. I believe that if I talk to them, we can settle this once and for all…”
    “Why would the humans listen to us?’
    A ripple of surprise made its way through the crowd. They had a point. If the humans truly thought it were the demons who killed her, why would they listen to them? Lord Okiru turned to the commander and asked something Kida could not hear. Kida’s heart skipped a beat as the commander pointed at her and motioned for her to come to him. She turned her ears away to hide their redness, but she could not hide the redness in her cheeks as she made her way through the crowd to the platform. Lord Okiru looked her up and down, somewhat surprised. “You commander tells me that you are very talented, though you do not look it.” She nodded, her tail waving behind her. “Would you like to accompany me to the village of Taran?” Kida’s heart pounded in her chest. She looked at her commander uncertainly. He nodded; Kida looked back up to Lord Okiru. “I’ll only go if my group can come with me.” His gaze settled on her a moment before he smiled and nodded. “We leave tomorrow morning at dawn.” He turned and walked away, leaving the crowd to disperse. All that remained was Kida and her group of friends. They looked at each other, their faces showing their excitement.
    ~~
    Kida awoke the next morning with Anya licking her cheek. She giggled and pushed the pup away as she sat up. She got up and washed herself with the bucket of water she collected from the stream the night before. She dressed herself quickly and assembled all her weapons. Once all her supplies were with her, she began to brush her hair and long black tail. She emerged from the tent to see the embers of the night’s fire still aglow. The sun hadn’t even begun to peak over the mountains yet. The camp was silent except for the sound of snoring. I’m the first awake… She thought as she walked through the camp. She made her way to her friends’ tents. She poked her head into Korhas tent and giggled at her sleeping friend. Her hair was messed up and her tail was twice its’ size. Anya padded in and licked Korhas feet, waking her instantly. “I’m up!” She shot up from her pillow and looked around sleepily. “What the heck? I’m usually up before you are!” she said as she got up and began dressing herself. Kida giggled. “But usually when you’re up before me, I’m drunk or hung over.”
    Once all five of the girls were up and ready to go, the pale light of dawn began creeping across the sky. They all sat around the last remaining embers of the fire as they waited for Lord Okiru to come for them. The sun was beginning to peak over the mountains as more and more demons came creeping out of their tents. Kida’s ears twitched. Where was Lord Okiru? He should have been out by now… Her eyes wandered over to his tent. Movement inside caught her attention and the tent flap swung open. He emerged with his sword hanging from his belt. He smiled as he caught Kida’s eye and made his way over to the group. They all stood as he approached, all looking intently at him. He looked them each over before saying, “Do you have all you need?” All five girls nodded. Kida’s legs tingled with anticipation. Let’s get going already! We’re wasting daylight! She kept her thoughts to herself as to not offend her Lord. “Then let’s move.”
    His large black wings spread out, casting him in shadow. The beating of his wings drummed in Kida’s ears as he lifted himself off of the ground. Kida glanced at her friends and nodded. They all took off at a full sprint, leaving a trail of dust behind them. Kida heard the gentle beat of wings as Lord Okiru flew above them. The group ran in the same V shape as in the training, with Kida at the lead. Korha sped up to be by Kida’s side, “What if the humans think we’re attacking?” She had a point. If they came bursting out of the trees onto the border of Taran, what would the humans think? They couldn’t afford any injuries, and they definitely couldn’t fight all of the humans on their own… Kida slowed down to a jog, and the others slowed behind her.
    Their pace slowed to a walk as the line of trees came to an end. Kida peered out to the large, grassy clearing that lay before them. There’s no way we can get to the main city in one night by just walking! The beating of wings drew nearer as Lord Okiru lowered himself to the clearing. Kida turned to her friends. “We can’t walk this… If we’re going to get to the city in one day we have to hurry, especially with something as urgent as this…” They nodded, and Lord Okiru looked thoughtful. “Maybe we could talk to the general…” Kida and her friends exchanged nervous glances. If they let us get that far… She waved her tail for her friends to keep their thoughts to themselves. Lord Okiru must have seen the looks they exchanged because he sighed heavily. Kida’s heart ached for him; it must have been so hard to make important decisions all the time. “If I may make a suggestion…?” Her voice was low, as though she was nervous to talk to him. He looked at her blankly; she half expected him to tell her no. When he nodded, Kida spilled out her plan.
    ~~
    Darkness began to creep across the sky as the sun slid behind the mountains. The group packed up their small, makeshift camp and readied themselves to head out. Kida sat on a boulder, her ears pricked for any sounds. A cool breeze swept over her, filling her nostrils with the scent of smoke, and meat. It must be their evening meal… She thought to herself, her plan playing through her head. Hopefully they’ll be asleep when we pass by. Her ear turned to the sound of footsteps coming towards her. She turned to see the rest of her group walking up to her. “We’re ready to go.” Kida nodded and jumped down to join her friends. She looked at Lord Okiru expectantly, figuring he would take the lead. Her heart skipped a beat as he took a step back. Her ear drooped, showing her confusion. “It’s your plan. You should be the one to lead us.” He said kindly.
    Kida nodded and took the lead. She glanced at Korha, trying to fight back her embarrassment.