Treading Or Dreading?

[Breechin]

The lone cat walked with a poise that made him look like royalty. His nose quivered slightly- whiskers perked high to help him navigate. Emerald green eyes danced over the land as the cat began his way towards a new life, or so he hoped. His heart pounded in his chest as the golden male slowed his pace. He had no mane, though his red spiked hair gave him the small appearence of a dinosaur. Dubbed Zen, he was quite the sabre. His teeth glimmered in the light, his nostrils as big as a lions. His muscular body always ready for action, his heart full of ccaring affection, although within instants, that would change- but that would only happen if threatened. He had a gleam in his eye that made him feel espically happy today as he meandered.

The sabre's long teeth strode with him as he went. From a glance, all you'd see was a dirty blonde looking cat with grass on him, but if you were to take a closer look, you'd notice that below each eye was a symbol. That symbol, there from birth, helped his name to be given. Zen gave a small growl as he reclined to his hauncehs, lifting a paw slightly. His tail flickered, a small breeze sweeping past his feet. He became alert with a scent that carried in the wind. Was it?

No. It couldn't be.


Yes-it was.

The sabre came to a hault, grunting slightly atthe fact that he smelled something. Something firmillar. A pride, perhaps? He nodded. Yes, that was it. It had to be it. HE began a small trot towards the smell, his nose tingling as it grew stronger and stronger. His heart now raced inside him as he began to trot faster, his mind racing as fast as it could. But then he stopped. What if it was another hullutinonation? His heart began to sank, but he heard it off in the distance. Growls. And roars. He wasn't imgaining it. With a high spirit, he bounded off again, eyes aglow as he ran for a while, then began to slow. The stench of cats was amazing. Zen looked about anxiously, then sat down. He'd have to wait, or do something to get their attention. He opened his mouth, showing the sky and ground his insicossers as he let our a roar. He wasn't sure if it'd carry too long, it wasn't like a wolf's howl, which could carry on for miles, but he figured that was his best. His ears pulled back slightly as he sniffed the air and ground, slowly reclinging to his rear. Today might be the day, he thought.


Zen sat there, enjoying the scenery, although he knew soon he'd become impatient. The sabre snorted, and began to lick his paw clean of the dried mudd that had layered itself on his paw. He gnawed at it slightly, then looked up. Sighing, the cat would wait, and wait....he would.

Though the cat couldn't stand impatince, he knew now he had no choice. Sniffing the ground, his leathery nose twitched slightly ,whiskers alert. Someone or something was here, and he would wait for that someone or something...

for as long as it took.

[Cazmick]

Dashna was patrolling her boarders again. She did it several times a day she wanted to make sure that she neither missed any loners nor any enemies. So far there was nothing. She hung her head slightly and trotted back toward the den area.

A roar sounded in her ears from the boarders she'd just left. Can it be? She turned her lean frame around and ran a little toward the boarders, suddenly she skidded herself to a stop. What am I doing? I can't run to see a loner it'll make me seem really desperate. And while I am I can't show it.

Dashna trotted the rest of the way to the boarders. The other cat came into view as she trotted and she paused for a minute to study him. He looked pretty strong and she took hope in that. As soon as I get more cats into my pride I can send some to look for wandering loners. She knew from experience that there really were many cats who wandered aimlessly around looking for a pride so perhaps she could increase her pride's side that way. But before that she had to meet this one.

"Hello." Dashna said softly, but clearly. "Do you realize that you've wandered onto Withren Pride lands?" She asked him in the same low voice. Her brownish eyes were soft and welcoming and her stance was proud but not threatening. "For what reason have you come to my lands? And what is your name?" She asked no louder than she had before. His answer can decide not only his fate but the future fate of Withren. She thought, a slim thread of hope worming its way into her heart.

[Breechin]

The male saw the learder at once, trot up to him. He bowed in greeting to her, gleaming fangs catching the suns rays. Tail flickered slightly, as flexed claws relaxed slightly, before he spoke.

"My name is Zen," he stated blankly, his voice loud and clear for her. His ears pulled back to his skull slightly, as his leathery nose took in her scent. He smiled.

"Yes, I do realize that I have treaspassed upon these lands, but with good intentions," he growled, as he reclined to his haunches. His wheaty colored tail wrapped round his back legs, as he took a breathe, before continuing.

"I have come- in hopes to..." he said then paused, trying to find the right word, although he could not."...Join, a pride, and find a home," he growled, looking away for a second, then looking back to her. He tried to be polite, knowing that...one like himself- would not take rudness in the way of others. The sabre sighed.

"I wish to join this...place...The Withern Pridelands." he stated,"if...of course, it is, with your premission M'Lady..okay with you." he said listening, waiting for a responce.

[Cazmick]

Dashna couldn't keep back the smile that crossed her features. "Zen. I am Dashna. The leader of this..." A strange look crossed her face. "...Pride." She said easily. He's polite and that's a plus. A big one. She thought, her smile returning.

She studied him quietly for a little while longer then spoke again. "Before I accept you into this pride I would like you to first know that the size of this pride is...Let's just say...Minimal. I hope to increase it but I can't do that with the size pride I have at the moment." She paused and looked Zen full in the face.

"Would you be willing to help me increase the size of this pride by helping to locate loners who are also searching for a new..." She paused, thinking over her words. "...A new home?" She drew her lips back from her feet slightly, exposing her sharp fangs. "Would you be willing to swear loyalty to me? And only me as the leader of this pride?" This she had to know, she didn't need some upstart loner coming in to try to take over.

"And a few more things, first, is there anything in your past that I should know about? And what exactly is it that seperates you from other Sabre's? Finally how are your fighting abilities?" Perhaps she wouldn't put every Sabre who came seeking a new home through this same questions but they would all get questioned all the same.

[Breechin]

Zen listened to the female speak, his mind trailing off to listen to his own thoughts. The wheat colored male relicined to his haunches as he tok in every word that was said. He sniffed slightly, making sure this was no trick. When she finished, he bowed and nodded his head to her.

"M'Lady Dashna," he began with a growl of hopem" I will swear, on my own life, may the gods strike me dead." he said holding her gaze firmly as he spoke.

"I shall do whatever it takes to get this pride going. I shall do anything that needs to be done, in order to keep this place strong." he growled, now standing, his muscles tensed. The sun caught hold of is eye for a second, as they blared into his eyes, but he held his gaze.

"If I can continue to be frank,"he growled," then I will assure you that...there won'tbe any obsticle in my way- except death, that will keep me from my duties to this pride." he stated with a firm tone.

Then he thought about his past. What was there to know? He sighed, relaxing slightly, his head turned away.
"I wish...to not speak of my past life." he said almost in a whisper."You wouldn't...understand." he said, his gaze finally broken for a moment, but he quickly gathered himself, his eyes locking onto hers again.

"What makes me different from other Sabres?" he growled, goign onto her next question.

"For one, I do not punish until I know the whole truth. I try to put some justice into things- though it may not work out at first, but I try." he said to her, tail flickering slightly. "I am a fair cat. I don't gang up on others...and I'm always true to my word." he stated looking up for a second,then down to the ground. His claws flexed as he began to go to the last question.

"My hunting skills..." he said, as if thinknig about it. Zen rolled the question in his mind for a second, then gave a small chuckle.

"I would say that if need be, I can drag down almost anything, but that I cannot honestly be sure of." he said with a small smile." That-I think....would be yiour decision. I find myself fairly good, but I'm not sure, on your standards, what good is." he said polielty, looking to her again, ears twitching slightly.

[Cazmick]

Dasha listened quietly as Zen answered. "I do not mind that you wish to keep your past from me. I am pleased with the fact that you are honest with that." She studied one paw for a minute then looked straight at Zen. "Welcome to Withren Pride."

She studied him for another minute. "The dens are west of here. They are indicated by a large area of rocks. The largest den will be the domain where any future pride kits and their mothers will sleep. The den immediately to the left of that is mine. Any other den you may have." She told him firmly. It's good to have another cat to talk to.

She turned away toward the dens, "I will be going most of the way to the dens if you wish to follow me." A slight smile crossed her face. "If you wish to explore the pride lands you are welcome to do so. Don't be surprised if you don't smell many other's, or any others besides the two of us yet." She warned, then with a shrug of her shoulders she moved along. I'll patrol the boarders one last time before I take some time to go hunting....Hmmm, hunting."[/b] She turned back to Zen. "Tell me Zen. When was the last time you ate?" If it's been a while than the boarder patrol can wait.

The sun was beginning to sink over the horizon and the pride leader knew that it would only be about another hour or two before Withren would be plunged into darkness once more, and she really didn't relish the idea of hunting in the dark.

[Breechin]

Zen listened to her words, a smirk appearing on his face as he bowed deeply. His ehat colored fur now bcame a hazel color in the dieing sunlight. Emerald eyes slowly bbegan to adjust themselves to the darkness.

"I thank you dearly M'Lady," he growled happily, tail flickering slightly." I shan't let you down." he said sternly, before hearing the words about a hunt. He lifted his head slightly, though keeping himself in submission towards her.

"It has been suns since I have tasted blood and flesh...a hunt sounds good right now..."he said not even thinking about how blunt he had just been. Shaking his head, he realized that he was in fact being rude. With another dip of his head, he appologized.

"I am..sorry M'Lady," he said quickly."I didn't mean to be so frank with you."

The last thing Zen needed now-was to be quickly rejected for having an open mind. He knew that his thinking out loud was going to have to wait. Looking up slightly, he waited an answer.

[Cazmick]

The tawny sabre laughed delightedly. "Please Zen be frank. I much prefer that to being vague. Vague creatures always seem to be hiding something." She told him easily. My brother was vague. She thought angrily. Shaking that emotion off she turned again to her new pride member. "Don't worry about losing your place in this pride anytime soon." She comforted. I can't afford to lose you. But if you cross the line I will drive you out just like I did the wolves. However I don't think you ever will cross that line.

She sniffed the air and turned north suddenly. "If you haven't eaten in a while then now's a good time." She told him calmly trotting quickly toward a place where she had recently scented a rather large herd of elk. "There is a herd of plant eaters, elk, that have made there home in these lands. They aren't that far, it seems they were too healthy for the weakling wolves to hunt so they flourished, but they're nothing a grown sabre can't take down."