Depths of Death

Chapter Four

"Fili! Kili! Stop! Don't go too far ahead!" I called, and turned around. "Thorin! Catch up, you're too far behind." As soon as I heard the protests, I realized my mistake.

"Sir Black, only Stonehelm is behind! Please refrain from calling us Thorin!"

"Oaksheild, what about the one without a title? The first Thorin?"

"Call me King," Thorin I responded. "I will answer to that."

"I don't think so," I said. "I'll call you the First. Like, Thorin the First."

Remus was skipping along, whistling a merry tune. "Don't be crabby, Padfoot, we're going to save Dora!"

"Oh, shut up, Moony," I said. "Just because you're happy doesn't mean I can be. Someone has to keep everyone together."

"No, Sirius, thou art only being bossy," Zoe said, matching my pace exactly. "Yet I do agree, Fili and Kili would do well to slow down, and Stonehelm would be better off to speed his pace."

"I resent such a statement, Lady Nightshade," Stonehelm said crossly. "I am an old dwarf. I do not do well with such fast paces."

"Oh, Stonehelm," First said, shaking his head. "I am the oldest character here, and I still am managing to keep pace."

"Thorin the First," Zoe said, smiling slightly. "I am thy oldest character. I was immortal for centuries."

"Oh, true, Lady Nightshade. My apologies."

"None taken."

We walked along the dark caverns, Fili or Kili pointing to signs Tonks had left. There weren't many.

"I can't see anything of hers here," Fili said. "Sirius, Sirius, what do we do? Did she turn back!"

"Err, I don't know," Sirius said. "I thought you two were good at navigating."

"Are you kidding?" Oaksheild laughed a deep throaty laugh that made you feel like you were in an earthquake. "We probably need a pack of bloodhounds to find her scent and follow it to her!"

"We don't have a pack of bloodhounds!" Remus said, now sitting on his knees with his forehead and fists resting on the uneven cavern wall. "We don't have anything... Dora is lost forever... We're doomed to go back to the story and lose everything... let's give up now and wait for Tonks in the story..."

My thoughts darted back to Sira. No way was I going back to the story just to die again! No possible way on this teeny-tiny island or the Banished Isles. No.

"No, Sirius, I'm not leaving," I said. "We'll just turn back and try the second trail. That's what we'll do. That must be what Tonks did."

"I think you're wrong," a voice called from behind us. I began panicking. Now there were more people ambushing us, forcing us to go into the story. And again, I couldn't stop thinking back to the young Sira.

"Oh no! S-stay away! Don't hurt us! I'm not going back into my story!" I said, squatting behind Stonehelm. "Thorin, help!"

All three Thorins rushed towards the voice.

"Stop that nonsense, you mouse-brain," the voice said again. An young, brown cat with green eyes appeared.

"M-mouse-brain...?" Kili mimicked the cat. "What does that even mean...?"

"I am Runningwind," the tom said. "I was born of and loyal to Thunderclan."

"I wish I understood what you were talking about," I replied. "I'm Sirius Black, of the Harry Potter series... and fanfiction." (A/N: See what I did there?)

"Oh, I'm from Warrior Cats," Runningwind explained. "Best tracker in all of Thunderclan... minus Tigerstar, but he doesn't count."

"Right," Remus said, rocking. "Can you track Tonks? I want to go home to her... Toooooonnnnkkksss!" he yelled, banging on the wall. "Dora..."

"Uh, sure," Runningwind said. "What does Tonks smell like? Is she the Twoleg that had changing hair and a pig snout?"

Remus and I looked at each other at the same time. "That sounds like Tonks," I said. "Ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent certain that is Tonks."

"Rounded up... " Remus said, a giddy smile on his face. "One hundred percent! Lead the way, kitty-cat!"

"Wrong," Runningwind said. "I'm just a cat."

"Okay, lead the way, please!" Remus said. "DORA! DORA! IT'S ME! STAY WHERE YOU ARE! WE'RE COMING TO GET YOU!"

"Geez, Moony, don't take down the cavern walls," I said. "I bet she heard you."

"Come on, then," Runningwind said, then sniffed the ground. "This way!"

I walked beside the once-again giddy Remus Lupin. "We're gonna save Dora," he sang, practically skipping. (100 Awesome-Points to whoever can guess the tune!) "Aren't you excited, Padfoot?"

"Err, yeah," I replied, looking down the tunnel. "Runningwind, Tonks didn't go into the light, did she?"

"No, she went into the dark," Runningwind replied. "The light is into the story. Whatever you do, don't go in there!"

I smacked Fili on the head, who was heading for it. "Stay here! Fili, don't go into the story!"

"Why not? I could visit yours!"

"Stupid child," Zoe said. "Do thou wish to die? That is thy way of death of memories, from this place."

"No, I don't want to die... Kili, come with me! Let's visit our story!"

"Impudent mouse-brain! You won't come back out until you die again!"

"Oh..." Fili looked sullen, and was quiet for awhile.

"It's Dora's bracelet!" Remus said. "She dropped it! And... it's the one... I gave her..." his voice dropped steadily. "Why... did she drop it?"

"The caverns don't go much farther than this cavern. The cats like to spend time in here, and I like this area. I would know. There is one place that Twoleg girl would be, unless she's turned back."

"Let's go, then!"

"But... it's the most dangerous part of Depths of Death."

XXXXX

Not-So-Short Author's Note: I'm farther in this story than I am in a story I started a year ago. I quite like this... Can you tell? And now I want to make an animated game thing of it... do you think I could? Would you play it if I did?

Well, anyway, did I do well with the dwarves? I think I did okay, especially with the three Thorin issue. Heee. Okay, so I added Runningwind... I was going to add Yellowfang, originally, but I decided against it and put a better tracker, sir Runningwind of Thunderclan.

So... review, pretty please? I have to have some opinions other than just one. (I appreciate it, TonksxLupin4ever! You're the best!)

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!

~Zabria Rose~