Deep with the depths of Okeecheekeewa, a tribe of squirrels slept deeply
through the night. Katt Starrbow sat awake in her treetop hide-a-way. She
sat; fixing arrowheads and feathers onto newly shaped shafts. Eyeing her
work carefully, she placed it in her quiver. She never slept. Always awake,
always, alert, always watchful. Nobeast had ever seen her, or at least
that's what they thought. She was always alone. She never speaks, laughs,
cries, or even screams. She has no need to.
* * *
Many seasons had passed since Katt was last heard of. Most thought she died. Many claimed to have seen her, but they were all lies, fibs, and tall tales to impress the young ones. Little did anybeast know, but Katt was in the treetops, listening to ever word spoke about her. Her normally emotionless face was plastered with disgust.
A few seasons ago, a young squirrel mother and babe disappeared. This happened so often that the others thought nothing of it. They were probably taken by the Queen who lives in the castle nearby. They all feared her, Queen Zema they called her. Even more terrifying than her was her wizard, Kotaro. There were only three things the village feared, that was Zema, Kotaro, and Katt.
This is Katt's story.
* * *
One night while lying in bed, Neema Tallgrove woke to a weird sound. It was almost like a scream, but it was gurggly. She shot up so fast; her covers fell to the floor. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not, so she listened for a while. Not hearing anything, she lay back down.
Next door, Neema's best friend, Bailey Silverfur, woke to the same sound. Not being as carefree as Neema, the silver-gray furred squirrel leapt out of bed. Pulling her cloak off the hook by the front hole. Running next door silently, she slipped inside. Going up to Neema's room, she stumbled on some acorns, but kept on going quietly. She finally reached Neema's room. She looked inside and saw Neema staring at the ceiling. She looked like she was in a trance. She opened her mouth as if to say something.
"What, Neema, what is it?" Bailey asked her sleeping friend.
Neema spoke on word at first: "Mlara."
"What about her Neema?"
"Gone in the forest. Gone, never to return. Gone, forever." Neema fell back asleep after reporting her message.
Bailey thought about what Neema said as she walked back to her house. She thought it had just been some odd dream, but then she remembered Mlara had not been at supper that evening. Bailey began to worry. I should just check to see if Mlara's all right. Bailey thought to herself as she ventures off to Mlara's hut on the other side of the little village.
The moon was shining bright that night as Bailey walked in Mlara's house. She knew the old squirrel's house like the back of her paw. She went up to her bedroom to find her bed empty. She began to really worry. She left for Neema's house, knowing something was amiss. When she got up to Neema's room, she was gone. Using her acute nose, she followed her trail out to the forest by the village's edge. The ground of the forest was damp, so Bailey gave up using her nose and followed the pawprints. Deep into the forest, she heard something. Keeping low to the ground, she crawled forward. In a patch of moonlight, she could make out two figures. One is kneeling, the other lying on the ground. The one kneeling was sobbing heavily. Bailey recognized it instantly as Neema. She jumped up, and ran to her friend's side.
"Neema, what-" she was cut off by the scene in front of her. Mlara lay with four arrows protruding from her lifeless body. "Mlara. Why?" where the only words Bailey could gasp out before she began to sob, even harder than Neema.
Neema suddenly stopped. "What's the point in crying? It's not going to bring her back." Bailey dried her eyes on her habit sleeve.
"You're right, friend. Let's take her back to the village." They quietly lifted their dead friend, and walked back to the village in silence.
* * *
"Does anybeast have any words to say for our dear friend Mlara?" Keri, chieftain of the tribe, asked at Mlara's resting day the morning after Bailey and Neema found her. It was a great day of mourning.
After the ceremony, Neema and Bailey went for a little walk.
"I can't believe somebeast would do something like that to poor Mlara!" Bailey said.
"I swear, if I find out who did that, I'll wring their crummy neck!" Neema said, her voice full of anger and hatred.
"Let's not get too carried away, now. Maybe if we walk to where we found her, then we could discover who did it!" They ventured deep into the forest, searching for the one spot.
"It's no use," Neema said with a sigh.
"Hey, Neema, what's this?" Bailey said taking a piece of cloth off a low- hanging branch.
"Let me see that," Neema said as she snatched it from Bailey's hands. She sniffed deeply at the homespun cloth. She nodded. "'Tis Mlara's all right. She must have gone this way." She led the way towards a small clearing.
"Hey! We've made it! See, here's the blood stains." Bailey said to her comrade. Neema wasn't listening, though. She was inspecting something. Bailey walked over, and peered over her shoulder. It was an arrow.
High above in the trees, Katt sat watching the two below. She noticed that the arrow they were holding looked like hers. She looked at the piece of parchment attached to the arrow that the two below were inspecting. It also looked like her writing.
Neema read the piece out loud, "'You'll wish you never saw me.' Hmm. That's weird." She turned the paper over many times, inspecting it carefully. "I know who made this arrow," she said plainly.
Bailey looked at her with puzzlement on her face. "Who?"
Neema's eyes had fire ablaze in them. "The one who killed Mlara."
"Yeah, I know, but who's that?" Bailey was getting frustrated.
"Katt."
"Katt? You mean Katt Starrbow?" Neema just nodded.
* * *
At the outskirts of the forest, stood a castle. Not just any castle, but Tinera Castle. Inside this castle lived the most barbaric creatures to ever build a castle. Deep within this castle lived Zema, stoat queen of Tinera. Her wizard was Kotaro, a ferret. Nobeast save Zema liked the ferret wizard. He was more powerful than anything that ever roamed the Earth. He could kill a village twice as large as the castle with a single paw-swipe. They all feared his name. Along with Zema, he killed all that got in his way. Soon, he would go after Zema, but not now. Her time would come.
* * *
Back at the little village, the two squirrels where thinking of how they could catch Katt.
"You know, Bailey, since it was Katt who killed Mlara, then she must still be alive."
"Yes, Neema, I am very alive. If you think it was I, then you are wrong. I know you Neema, always right. Not this time. I did not kill Mlara. I don't know why I ever would." Neema and Bailey stared up at the trees, where Katt stood on plain view.
"Don't deny it, Katt. I know you as well as you know me. You would hate to be seen." Neema replied after coming over her shock.
"The why would I be showing myself now? Tell me that, O Smart One!" Katt spat down on the two.
"To prove us wrong that you wouldn't mind showing yourself! Your tricks aren't going to work on us, Starrbow!"
"I'm telling you, I didn't do it!" Katt's voice became pleading.
"Tell it to the judge!"
"Don't forget, Neema, we don't have judges!" With that, Katt disappeared into the trees.
"Maybe she's right, Neema." Bailey said wearily, knowing her friend was getting angry.
"She's not right! I've known Katt all my life, she is not right!"
"Well, maybe we should check the clearing again."
Neema's anger flooded away. "Yeah, maybe we should."
They went to the clearing in silence. When they got to the clearing. They searched one more time.
After a few hours of searching, Bailey finally found something.
"Hey Neema, get a loud of this." Neema came over, and looked at what Bailey had.
"Ew! That's gross!" She batted it away.
"Neema! That was a clue!" Neema took up a look of surprise. They searched for the object, which was a tuft of fur. After searching for a few minutes, Neema finally found it. Picking it up carefully, she sniffed it.
"Ew!"
"What is it, Neema?"
"Stoat hair!"
"Let me smell it!" Bailey exclaimed, her voice full of eagerness. She smelled it. "Not just any stoat. The queen stoat!"
"You mean. Zema?"
"Yes!"
"Oh no. You mean, I was wrong, and it wasn't Katt, and it was Queen Zema?"
"Kind of. But it wasn't Zema," she said, motioning for Neema to smell another piece of fur, "It was her wizard, Kotaro. He was carrying her fur on his cloak, leaving them here."
"I told you it wasn't me, Neema," Katt said as she jumped out of the trees from above.
"I'm sorry, Katt. Will you ever forgive me?"
"How could I not, friend?"
"Thanks a million, Katt Starrbow."
"You're welcome, Neema Tallgrove." The two old friends embraced each other.
"Hey! What about me?" Bailey said right as Neema swept her into a big group hug.
To be continued.
Look for book two, Tinera
* * *
Many seasons had passed since Katt was last heard of. Most thought she died. Many claimed to have seen her, but they were all lies, fibs, and tall tales to impress the young ones. Little did anybeast know, but Katt was in the treetops, listening to ever word spoke about her. Her normally emotionless face was plastered with disgust.
A few seasons ago, a young squirrel mother and babe disappeared. This happened so often that the others thought nothing of it. They were probably taken by the Queen who lives in the castle nearby. They all feared her, Queen Zema they called her. Even more terrifying than her was her wizard, Kotaro. There were only three things the village feared, that was Zema, Kotaro, and Katt.
This is Katt's story.
* * *
One night while lying in bed, Neema Tallgrove woke to a weird sound. It was almost like a scream, but it was gurggly. She shot up so fast; her covers fell to the floor. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not, so she listened for a while. Not hearing anything, she lay back down.
Next door, Neema's best friend, Bailey Silverfur, woke to the same sound. Not being as carefree as Neema, the silver-gray furred squirrel leapt out of bed. Pulling her cloak off the hook by the front hole. Running next door silently, she slipped inside. Going up to Neema's room, she stumbled on some acorns, but kept on going quietly. She finally reached Neema's room. She looked inside and saw Neema staring at the ceiling. She looked like she was in a trance. She opened her mouth as if to say something.
"What, Neema, what is it?" Bailey asked her sleeping friend.
Neema spoke on word at first: "Mlara."
"What about her Neema?"
"Gone in the forest. Gone, never to return. Gone, forever." Neema fell back asleep after reporting her message.
Bailey thought about what Neema said as she walked back to her house. She thought it had just been some odd dream, but then she remembered Mlara had not been at supper that evening. Bailey began to worry. I should just check to see if Mlara's all right. Bailey thought to herself as she ventures off to Mlara's hut on the other side of the little village.
The moon was shining bright that night as Bailey walked in Mlara's house. She knew the old squirrel's house like the back of her paw. She went up to her bedroom to find her bed empty. She began to really worry. She left for Neema's house, knowing something was amiss. When she got up to Neema's room, she was gone. Using her acute nose, she followed her trail out to the forest by the village's edge. The ground of the forest was damp, so Bailey gave up using her nose and followed the pawprints. Deep into the forest, she heard something. Keeping low to the ground, she crawled forward. In a patch of moonlight, she could make out two figures. One is kneeling, the other lying on the ground. The one kneeling was sobbing heavily. Bailey recognized it instantly as Neema. She jumped up, and ran to her friend's side.
"Neema, what-" she was cut off by the scene in front of her. Mlara lay with four arrows protruding from her lifeless body. "Mlara. Why?" where the only words Bailey could gasp out before she began to sob, even harder than Neema.
Neema suddenly stopped. "What's the point in crying? It's not going to bring her back." Bailey dried her eyes on her habit sleeve.
"You're right, friend. Let's take her back to the village." They quietly lifted their dead friend, and walked back to the village in silence.
* * *
"Does anybeast have any words to say for our dear friend Mlara?" Keri, chieftain of the tribe, asked at Mlara's resting day the morning after Bailey and Neema found her. It was a great day of mourning.
After the ceremony, Neema and Bailey went for a little walk.
"I can't believe somebeast would do something like that to poor Mlara!" Bailey said.
"I swear, if I find out who did that, I'll wring their crummy neck!" Neema said, her voice full of anger and hatred.
"Let's not get too carried away, now. Maybe if we walk to where we found her, then we could discover who did it!" They ventured deep into the forest, searching for the one spot.
"It's no use," Neema said with a sigh.
"Hey, Neema, what's this?" Bailey said taking a piece of cloth off a low- hanging branch.
"Let me see that," Neema said as she snatched it from Bailey's hands. She sniffed deeply at the homespun cloth. She nodded. "'Tis Mlara's all right. She must have gone this way." She led the way towards a small clearing.
"Hey! We've made it! See, here's the blood stains." Bailey said to her comrade. Neema wasn't listening, though. She was inspecting something. Bailey walked over, and peered over her shoulder. It was an arrow.
High above in the trees, Katt sat watching the two below. She noticed that the arrow they were holding looked like hers. She looked at the piece of parchment attached to the arrow that the two below were inspecting. It also looked like her writing.
Neema read the piece out loud, "'You'll wish you never saw me.' Hmm. That's weird." She turned the paper over many times, inspecting it carefully. "I know who made this arrow," she said plainly.
Bailey looked at her with puzzlement on her face. "Who?"
Neema's eyes had fire ablaze in them. "The one who killed Mlara."
"Yeah, I know, but who's that?" Bailey was getting frustrated.
"Katt."
"Katt? You mean Katt Starrbow?" Neema just nodded.
* * *
At the outskirts of the forest, stood a castle. Not just any castle, but Tinera Castle. Inside this castle lived the most barbaric creatures to ever build a castle. Deep within this castle lived Zema, stoat queen of Tinera. Her wizard was Kotaro, a ferret. Nobeast save Zema liked the ferret wizard. He was more powerful than anything that ever roamed the Earth. He could kill a village twice as large as the castle with a single paw-swipe. They all feared his name. Along with Zema, he killed all that got in his way. Soon, he would go after Zema, but not now. Her time would come.
* * *
Back at the little village, the two squirrels where thinking of how they could catch Katt.
"You know, Bailey, since it was Katt who killed Mlara, then she must still be alive."
"Yes, Neema, I am very alive. If you think it was I, then you are wrong. I know you Neema, always right. Not this time. I did not kill Mlara. I don't know why I ever would." Neema and Bailey stared up at the trees, where Katt stood on plain view.
"Don't deny it, Katt. I know you as well as you know me. You would hate to be seen." Neema replied after coming over her shock.
"The why would I be showing myself now? Tell me that, O Smart One!" Katt spat down on the two.
"To prove us wrong that you wouldn't mind showing yourself! Your tricks aren't going to work on us, Starrbow!"
"I'm telling you, I didn't do it!" Katt's voice became pleading.
"Tell it to the judge!"
"Don't forget, Neema, we don't have judges!" With that, Katt disappeared into the trees.
"Maybe she's right, Neema." Bailey said wearily, knowing her friend was getting angry.
"She's not right! I've known Katt all my life, she is not right!"
"Well, maybe we should check the clearing again."
Neema's anger flooded away. "Yeah, maybe we should."
They went to the clearing in silence. When they got to the clearing. They searched one more time.
After a few hours of searching, Bailey finally found something.
"Hey Neema, get a loud of this." Neema came over, and looked at what Bailey had.
"Ew! That's gross!" She batted it away.
"Neema! That was a clue!" Neema took up a look of surprise. They searched for the object, which was a tuft of fur. After searching for a few minutes, Neema finally found it. Picking it up carefully, she sniffed it.
"Ew!"
"What is it, Neema?"
"Stoat hair!"
"Let me smell it!" Bailey exclaimed, her voice full of eagerness. She smelled it. "Not just any stoat. The queen stoat!"
"You mean. Zema?"
"Yes!"
"Oh no. You mean, I was wrong, and it wasn't Katt, and it was Queen Zema?"
"Kind of. But it wasn't Zema," she said, motioning for Neema to smell another piece of fur, "It was her wizard, Kotaro. He was carrying her fur on his cloak, leaving them here."
"I told you it wasn't me, Neema," Katt said as she jumped out of the trees from above.
"I'm sorry, Katt. Will you ever forgive me?"
"How could I not, friend?"
"Thanks a million, Katt Starrbow."
"You're welcome, Neema Tallgrove." The two old friends embraced each other.
"Hey! What about me?" Bailey said right as Neema swept her into a big group hug.
To be continued.
Look for book two, Tinera