The sweet scent of reheated gazelle meat floated over the cats' camp. Lion-O spread out tender, juicy cuts of the sirloin on a bronze platter to serve for lunch.
"Tygra there's food," Lion-O called out grudgingly to the tents. Tygra did not hear him. The tiger had been pacing and trying to make sense out of Cheetara's departure.
Things are getting out of control, Tygra thought to himself. We're all fighting with each other. This is absolutely ridiculous. But what on earth can I do now? Lion-O won't listen to me. So what's the point? I can't talk to him about it. Tygra sighed and planted his face in his paws. And, what do I do about what's going on with Cheetara, Tygra wondered. She hasn't been herself for a while, he thought. The woman he knew was a very physical cat; energetic, affectionate, and in battle, aggressive. But emotionally, she prided herself on being calm and in control. When Cheetara was calm, she radiated a sensuous warmth that, to him, was as soothing as her gentle embrace.
Lately, though, she seemed more closed-off and withdrawn than calm. Tygra wondered if Cheetara was being pushed past her limits. Her stress showed in her fur. Spots on her hair had faded off where the fur had fallen away. He had asked her if she was troubled, but her reply was vague - not surprisingly. She then changed the subject quickly, so he had learned nothing.
So what do I do? Tygra thought. I've got a king who won't listen, and a cleric who won't talk. Great. A perfect disaster. Guess I've got no choice. I've got to make them do it whether they want to or not. If I can keep it together myself, he frowned. I just hope she's okay, he thought.
Tygra sat down in silence, closed his eyes, and expanded his consciousness in meditation. There were strange times, when he could quiet his mind, that Tygra felt he could actually hear the cheetah's thoughts, not just sense her feelings. Since The Fall of Thundera, he felt the connection growing stronger. Are you alright? Tygra's belly rose and fell slowly as he directed his thoughts to her. Let me know if I should come seek you; at least tell me if you're safe, he thought. He inhaled deeply and took in her scent as she had smelled the day prior, freshly bathed in the crisp clear waters of the northwest lake, and a warm calm fell over him. I'm alright. I just need some time. He heard her. Tygra knew exactly what he needed to do.
"Suit yourself then, starve, Tygra!" Lion-O's call shook Tygra from his meditation. Tygra folded his arms and grunted. He wasn't hungry and didn't feel like speaking with anyone. He would come out to get the remainder when the others had gone.
"He's just pouting," Lion-O said loudly to Panthro, who had joined him for the meal.
"Eh. He's probably just worried. He's been walking around in circles in there all day. You know, we should probably think about going out to look for her before it gets late," Panthro suggested.
"Believe me," Lion-O shot a dark glance at the General. "That cat's main concern is himself. You don't know him. That guy's got rocks for a heart. Don't be tricked by Tygra pretending to be concerned about her or anyone else."
"What do you mean, Lion-O? Doesn't sound like Tygra to me," Panthro tilted his head to the side, grimacing.
"Tygra's good at fooling people. You left for your quest for the Book while we were still kids, so you didn't get to know us as adults. Trust me, every noblewoman in Thundera can quote Tygra. His favorite line is 'My love, this day we make the envy of the morrow, for I am betrothed, and in love with another.' Something like that." Lion-O scowled. "And they went for it! I can't believe girls like that sort of thing."
"What does that even mean?" Panthro frowned and started his lunch.
"Tygra's been engaged to marry a girl since we were cubs, and he was supposed to marry her after my rite of passage, but something happened, and then Thundera fell." Lion-O explained. "I'm almost sure Cheetara doesn't know that, because Tygra definitely wouldn't tell her. He never even bothers to talk about the girl. He never talks about any of his girlfriends."
"What makes you think the girl is still alive?"
"All I know is, we didn't even think about the survivors of The Fall until we found Pumyra in the Pit. Tygra should at least have the decency to find out if the girl he's betrothed to is alive or dead before he moves on."
"Sounds like a lot of assumptions to me." Panthro drank from the water Lion-O brought back with him from the reservoir the Berbils had built.
The scent of the gazelle meat brought the dogs to the camp and they gathered around the fire. Lion-O welcomed them and served them lunch. Snarf snuggled in near Lion-O and slurped down treats the dogs tossed his way.
"We're making real progress," said Dobo, the Pit Leader of the City of Dogs. He clapped Panthro on the back. Panthro nodded in agreement between bites. Dobo had been the strongest advocate of building the thrusters to power the birds' city.
"Don't worry, Lion-O, we'll get those birds back in the air, and then you can get back to hunting for that last Power Stone before Mumm-Ra gets it. We're with you," Dobo assured him. The Doberman had a keen nose for blood; he sniffed the air and stood quickly, smelling blood in the direction of the kittens, who he could see hobbling toward them in the distance.
"Something's wrong with your kittens, Lion-O," Dobo shouted.
Lion-O leapt to his feet and drew the ancient Sword of Omens from his Claw. The Sword's edge caught the glow from the campfire and a mirage of the two kittens shimmered in the beauty of its blade. Lion-O raced toward the kittens with Dobo and Panthro close behind. Tygra heard Dobo's shouts and ran to join the other cats. Lion-O looked beyond the kittens, and seeing no one, he waved off the cats and the dogs so that he could examine the kittens for wounds.
"I fell," WilyKat said in a thin voice, anticipating their questions. Crimson-red blood stained the white and tan fur around the kitten's ears and the bruised skin around his eyes. He walked under his own power now, but he was weakened and exhausted.
"Fell where?" Lion-O sheathed his sword. He looked at WilyKit for confirmation, who nodded.
"From a tree," WilyKat said. "We were just kidding around and I lost my footing."
Panthro and Tygra glanced at each other and frowned.
"Never heard of a cat falling from a tree." Dobo scratched his head and approached the kitten.
"I need to lie down," WilyKat pushed past the dog and headed in the direction of the campfire.
"Wait just a second," Lion-O bent over and grabbed WilyKat at the waist. "Let me look at you."
Lion-O sifted through WilyKat's fur and discovered the cuts and the bruises were all superficial. The bones in the kitten's arms and legs all had smooth edges, and WilyKat did not grimace when Lion-O pressed his belly. Lion-O pressed the kitten's tiny claws and saw that they were not pale and that he had not lost any blood of note.
"Alright," Lion-O's eyes darted between the kittens. "Rest, WilyKat. I'll come to check on you in a minute." WilyKat and WilyKit made their way over to the campfire. With a potential crisis averted, Panthro signaled to Dobo and the rest of the dogs to follow him back to the birds' city so that they might finish the day's work on the thrusters before the first moonrise.
Panthro looked back at Tygra. Lion-O watched the two cats. Panthro appeared uneasy, and Tygra was glowering at Panthro with what seemed to be anger, or perhaps, disappointment. Panthro turned abruptly and headed away from the camp. Tygra watched Panthro leave before turning his gaze to meet Lion-O's.
"Let me go and speak to WilyKat alone," Tygra requested.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Lion-O said. "And we need to think about finding Cheetara. It's going to get dark soon."
"You don't have any good ideas," Tygra growled at Lion-O. "I'm going to talk to Kat. Please, just give me a moment with him."
"A moment, that's all," Lion-O warned. "And what about Cheetara?"
"She's fine." Tygra turned his back and walked toward the campfire.
She's fine? Even Tygra could not be so callous, Lion-O thought. He was missing something, and Lion-O knew for certain that he could get clarity from the Sword. Lion-O lifted the hilt of the Sword of Omens to his cheeks; the majesty of its silver metal gleamed as the hilt curled around and flashed its vision before Lion-O's aqua blue eyes.
"Sword of Omens," Lion-O commanded. "Give me sight beyond sight. Show me Cheetara." What's she doing in a tree? Lion-O wondered. And she looks worried, he thought.
-o-