Recap: Well, it took Khia like four months to find the warehouse, but now she's there. Aaand now she wants to leave.

ps i hope you like Thad


Release me from the present

I'm obsessing all these questions

-Twenty One Pilots, Message Man

She promises the dawn, as she wakes, that she will not fail. Pale light seeps into the the warehouse. I will not falter. I will find him. Perhaps she was never meant to lead an aimless existence, a stagnant and happy reality. Khia sighs and blinks her eyes again- she can almost imagine that quiet, blissful life- and realizing, with a small amount of resentment, that Gideon has pressed up against her in the night. She can't really begrudge him for that, she supposes, remembering the hellish events of yesterday. His kinked tail brushes against her flank, and she twitches and pushes away. Perhaps Etch would have tolerated such a disturbance, but she has proven again and again that she is not her meek-mannered cousin.

For a moment, she thinks Cariad's faint scent brushes against her nose; she would have snagged the corner where he slept, but Elettra had already curled up there. Khia had felt small, bitter and jealous, but brushed it aside and picked a separate spot. Khia, after all, was the only one planning to rescue him. Some friends, she thinks, snorting. It's a very loud sound, and she pins her ears to her head, peering around and hoping no one caught the embarrassing noise. No such luck.

"Something funny?" Thad asks, whiskers crinkling in amusement.

"No," Khia squeaks, coughing to hide the rustiness of her voice. "Just...just something in my throat." The tips of her ears burn, and she wouldn't be surprised if Thad could feel the heat. Even so, a light, optimistic churning begins in her belly. Khia believes a more romantic cat might call them butterflies. It's kind of disgusting.

"Sure, sure," Thad replies, amusement and charm oozing from his words. Khia has encountered such potent charisma before, but it's never been directed at her like this. Ru has a silver tongue, but he never bothered to use it around his foster-daughter. Unused to it, she's slightly flustered. She's not immune. Still, she tamps her unbidden feelings down. She's leaving as soon as she can, and she needs to concentrate on rescuing her brother. Thad is mostly certainly a distraction- handsome, charming, but a distraction all the same.

Still, the warehouse is brimming with distractions; Miss, Ru, and even the churlish Clanner Oakpaw. She's always let herself be drawn to the ways of others; their actions, their words. She's followed them willingly to see where they may lead. Not anymore. She can't be inquisitive- she must farewell her curiosity.

"What are you doing, anyway?" Thad asks. "You hanging around?" He doesn't sound enthusiastic, or even remotely optimistic. Still, Khia decides there's something in his voice - a spark of curiosity, perhaps an ounce of caring.

"No," she replies decisively. She's not interested in their petty war and she doubts Miss cares either way whether she stays or goes. "I'm going after Cariad." Khia isn't sure why she tacks that on at the end, as though looking for praise or approval. She hardly needs it. Thaddeus, thankfully, looks mildly impressed.

"You're brave, then," he says. "I wanted to go save him, but Ice said no. Said he'd already be dead by the time I got there."

Khia narrows her eyes. "How would he know that? There's every chance he's alive." Venom enters her voice, and she realizes too late that poor Thad looks a little apprehensive.

"Well, don't go around telling people this, but Ice is a Clanner. He knows firsthand how ruthless they are. Sorry, Khia, but I just don't think you should get your hopes up. They've already killed hundreds of us, what's one more to them?"

She grimaces; no one can tell her Cariad is dead. She would know, would feel something...and all she feels is an invulnerable sense that he is alive, breathing, waiting for her. Khia has never been one for blind faith, but she has it now and trusts it implicitly. There is no alternative. "Like I'm going to let some crusty Clanner make my decisions for me," she mutters. Heaving a cathartic sigh, she glances up at the ceiling, just as Gideon begins to stir beside her.

"Whaddi miss?" he slurs, yawning. "Have you replaced me with my own brother, Khia?"

"What? No!" she squeaks, flushing. "Even if I did manage to replace you, you'd still follow me around anyway," she adds, rolling her eyes. Gideon merely looks amused, and doesn't bother to deny her. Still, Gideon seems to be the only thing she has left- Cariad is gone, Etch is dead and Ru hovers somewhere in the middle. The mere thought of him is enough to make her sick. Thankfully, he has the good sense to stay away; he hasn't kidnapped her during the night, surprisingly enough. It certainly wouldn't be beneath him.

"I'm going to get a bite to eat," Thad says, swiftly getting to his paws as he gives the two of them a pensive glance. He disappears over the lip of the gutter, golden tail swishing with a final flourish in the dusty morning light as he leaves. He extends no invitation to follow.

"We need to talk," she tells Gideon, noting his look of mild confusion. They've created an uneasy alliance, a sort of friendly camaraderie, but he's still not really sure where they stand.

"Here?" he asks, glancing at the remaining cats. Brava and Elettra both seem to be fast asleep. At any rate, they hardly exude the air of an eavesdropper.

"Here's as good as anywhere," she replies, doubting they'll find a quieter spot in the warehouse above. "I'm leaving, Gideon. I'm not just going to give up on Cariad. I can't. You should understand that- you came all this way, just for Thad. And that's exactly why you can't leave, because you have found him and you'll hardly want to go on another doomed mission with me, another foolhardy stupid adventure, so I wanted to say good luck for the future and whatever you decide to do. I'm...I'm glad to have known you." It comes out in a tangled rush, and she's not sure if Gideon understands half of it. He just blinks at her owlishly, and then utters a little laugh.

I just said sensitive stuff, she thinks, disgruntled, and he's laughing at me. I may as well leave now.

"Of course I'm coming with you," he says, amusement in his voice. "We said we were going to rescue both of our brothers, and we haven't done that yet. Thad is clearly happy here, and not in danger right now. I don't break promises; you're not rid of me yet."

Her brain ticks, slowly. Two is better than one. Two is stronger, faster, smarter. That will be advantageous, she thinks, and so she nods. "Okay," she says. "Thanks, I guess."

"When are we leaving?" he asks. "It seems pretty urgent, but we are...how shall I say it? Very under-prepared."

Her stomach sinks. It's true. They've been eating soft kittypet food, and it has done nothing for their constitution. They're weak, untrained. "Maybe we should stay here for a few days," she murmurs, although she loathes the words as they leave her mouth. "We need to eat real food, and learn how to fight. We're useless to Cariad right now. I just have talk to Ice." She shudders at the thought, but she has to find out as much as she can.

"I'll come with you," Gideon says sympathetically, but she shakes her head.

"Spend time with your brother," she replies, and her words sound a little darker than she intended.


"He's probably dead," Ice says, perusing her scruffy pelt with dark unreadable eyes.

"Probably?" she persists, ignoring the twitch of Ice's lip as it pulls itself into a sneer. "Do they kill everyone on sight, or what? Is there a chance they left him alive?" Ice strikes an imposing figure, pale and wraith-like, but his cold frowns cannot deter her. He sighs, and his eyes drift past her, although he does not leave.

"PureClan often keeps prisoners in a cave, but the majority are brought in from raids. The loners and rogues they find on the territory are most often executed. I will not tell you your brother is certainly dead, but is a likely fact. If he was not killed on sight- if he were kept because their supplies are running low- then he will be dead soon. The prisoners are all killed sooner or later."

Kept in a cave, she thinks to herself. Got it.

"Are you training?" Ice asks. "If you are, you should fall into rank now, and not be made an example of."

Gulping, she nods, and melts into the crowd that is amassing on the warehouse floor. Somehow she finds herself beside Gideon and Thad. He nods at her, and a thrill rushes down her spine, which she disguises with a cool, aloof smile. Ice begins shouting instruction up the front- things like front paw strikes and back kicks and outlast the opponent because they aren't used to enduring lengthy attacks. It all goes over her head. Khia glances at Gideon, relieved to see he looks as confused as she does.

"Do you want to spar with me?" Brava purrs, looking at Gideon with something in her amber eyes. Khia narrows her eyes at the other she-cat, but she doesn't even bother to glance down. Gideon nods and moves away, trailing after Brava with his ears pricked. His kinked tail twitches a little as he goes, like a dog wagging its tail. Khia wants to gag all over again. She glances around, but everyone is pairing up with little regard to her. Elettra joins a slim black she-cat with a splash of startling white on her chest. Modron, a she-cat she remembers from the basement, is already swiping at a golden tom who also seems familiar.

"Shall we spar together?" Thad asks behind her, his warm voice honey to her ears.

"Yes," she replies, turning around. "I thought no one would ask and I'd be the one practising my moves on the air." She giggles, something she never does, but somehow the situation seems to call for it.

"I'm sure the air wouldn't know what hit it," Thad replies smoothly, grinning. His blue eyes flicker with amusement. "I'm assuming you haven't done much battle practice, though. Am I correct?" He doesn't seem to be judging her, just assessing the limits of her knowledge.

"No," she says, scuffing her paws on the ground. "Andraste didn't really know any moves, and I couldn't even defend myself against the toms who..." Again, she realizes how stupid it would have been to charge headlong into PureClan territory without an ounce of training. At least she can only get Etch killed once.

"I heard about your cousin. I'm sorry," Thad says, eyes turning dark. "You can use that pain and anger to become a better fighter. I know I have." He turns to look at Ice, who is demonstrating several brutal moves at the head of the crowd. "That's a bit advanced for you, I think. We'll go back to the basics. It'll be good for me to go over them again."

Slowly, they begin to discuss form and technique. They move onto real sparring, and Khia hits the ground every time, although Thad winces with sympathy. There's so much in her head- when to move, spin and strike, what to do and how. She hardly feels as though she's improved by the end of the day, when Ice sharply calls to cease and desist. Groaning as she stands, she watches Brava slide off Gideon's back with a smug, pretty smile.

"Brava is...very friendly," Thad comments, following her gaze. "Although Cariad never really seemed to like her." Khia refrains from sneering, but she very much agrees with her brother. "Will you share a blackbird with me, Khia? You should get some rest some, your body won't be used to all that fight."

And falling on the floor, she thinks. "Sure," she agrees, noticing Gideon has left Brava and is looking for her in the crowd. "I'd kill for a meal right now."


This pattern continues for several days; she gets better at fighting, though she knows she'll never be great. Thad is a kind and patient teacher, but Khia finds it's almost hard to concentrate when he's around. She also pesters Ice for more information, although he is not forthcoming. It's Gideon who comes up with the idea, and she pounces on it. They've spent a lot of time here- perhaps too much. The sooner they leave, the better.

Khia gingerly climbs the stairs as darkness falls. Achilleus is gone again and some random sentry remains in his place, napping lightly at the foot of the stairs. Stealth has always been an area of aptitude for Khia, and she doesn't encounter a single problem as she creeps towards the gallery. Miss and Emory are curled up together on a pile of empty sacks. Neither stir as Khia sneaks past and reaches the gaping hole in the wall. It is pitch-black, dark as the night, and she can't see a single thing inside of it. Still, optimistically, she jumps down into it, and lands on a warm pile of tabby fur.

Oakpaw wakes with a hiss, throwing her off and pinning her to the floor. "Stop landing on me before you break something else!" he snaps.

"Uhh...it's me...Khia," she says, wriggling, although Oakpaw's grip doesn't loosen. "I was the one...talking to you- um- about my brother." She prays he remembers, and doesn't decide to cut her throat.

"Oh, you," Oakpaw replies, relaxing his stance and letting her up. As her eyes adjust to the darkness, she sees him shake one paw and wince. "Can I help you? Most decent cats like to sleep right about now."

"I came to find out everything I can about what PureClan does with its prisoners, since Ice won't tell me. I'm going to rescue Cariad."

"You'll die," he says, laughing derisively. "Anyone who steps foot in PureClan territory dies."

"And that matters to you? Just tell me," she snaps.

"It won't matter what I tell you," he says, amusedly looking her up and down. "Any way you try it, you'll die. There's something to be said for your persistence...but it won't save your life. Or your brother. Unless, of course…" He trails, his eyes aglow in the dark. His golden irises are fever-bright.

"Unless what?" she asks sharply. If there's a chance she will take it. To hell with the consequences.

"We both want something," he says smoothly. "I'll rescue your brother; it makes sense. I'm one of them. In order for me to do that, you'll help me escape this prison. Ergo, we both get what we want."

"And how do I know you won't turn on me the moment we get out of here?" she asks suspiciously. "Why haven't you escaped already?" She squints at him, as though she can visually detect his honesty or lack thereof.

Oakpaw shrugs, holding up his paw. "It's broken," he replies mildly. "For now, I can't do it on my own. What do you say?"

She stares at the dark tom. A thought, lonely and lost and far-away, flashes through her mind. "On one condition," she says slowly. Oakpaw looks at her, ears pricked and eyes narrowed.

"I'm getting you your brother back," he growls. "What else could you want?"

That distant memory calls to her. She has always been a creature of curiosity, but this means something more. "We have a deal," she tells him, "if you tell me everything you know about Sablefrost and Smokefang."

Khia sees him flinch. He recoils, before he recovers so smoothly she's hardly sure if he moved at all. "How do you know their names," he growls flatly, hackles rising steadily.

"It doesn't matter. Take me to them. I need to meet them." It hadn't really occurred to her before, but she'll be going in that direction anyway… Would her mother have recognised herself in Cariad? Would her father? Could they have saved him from certain death- is this the reason she feels so certain her brother is alive?

Oakpaw turns his face away. "I can't very well do that," he says. "They're dead."


wellll khia is finally all caught up

life update time: where do i start?

you may have noticed the updates have slowed down a bit. this is because i've started uni and holy hell i don't have time to write but i'm writing anyway? On top of that I've been food-poisoned several times (i have a very sensitive allergy which sucks) and a month and a half ago I had to put down my rabbit Oreo when her abcess burst. It was a horrible process, for me and her, but it was the only option we had left. so yeah, i didn't feel like writing very much after that.

on a more positive note i am going to see my most favourite band of all time on saturday (hint: today's lyric choice) and it's going to be amazing.

anyway. there's probably more that i forgot but eh