On a Clear Day

[King Lune]

[February 3rd, Year One]

There had been a whole kerfuffle around the Cat Kingdom when news of the war spread throughout his citizens like wildfire. Three opposing armies locked in a deadly battle with no end in sight. Of course, his first instinct under the urging of his advisers was to stay out of it, no matter how much he wanted to help, the risk was too high that the kingdom would lose a second king so soon after the first, his father, had retired.

But for a while it had eaten away at the empathetic king, knowing so many fought to keep the world out of the hands of those who would do harm, and what of his oen kingdom should that happen? That had been at least part of the driving force behind his decision to offer his assistance to these 'Freedom Fighter', and it had been the excuse he used to convince the council to let him go.

He'd left the kingdom in the paws of his wife, she was capable, intelligent, every bit the fair and empathetic leader he was, and it put his mind at ease knowing they were safe under her watch and the watch of the soldiers he'd left behind. He hadn't wanted to bring too many, to leave a kingdom unguarded was to hand it to the enemy in a wrapped parcel, and he was no fool. He'd brought a dozen soldiers with him, they probably didn't look like much to the many much bigger soldiers, but he trusted them with his life.

The land that was the centerpiece of the Freedom Fighter's operations was wildly different from anything the young king had seen before, and he seemed keen to explore what he could, wandering through the camp with no real goal in mind. He wished to get to know his fellows better, it was important to know the people for whom you were fighting after all, and a tight knit army fared better than a rabble of loosely connected people with the same general goal, so if someone stopped the Cat King to speak, he would gladly engage. For now though, he simply strolled through, observed the setting from his much smaller vantage point to get his bearings, that was important too after all.

[Deleted]

Therru's spirit was heavy. It had only been a few days, and she was already pining for home. Leaving Tenar behind was probably the hardest thing she had to do. But Sparrowhawk had promised to help Tenar on the farm, and Kalessin said they would do what they can. Therru knew Arren would have stayed with Tenar too, but he had gone back to Elad to repent for the crime of patricide and the crime of regicide. Therru trusted Sparrowhawk and Kalessin, and she knew her mother would be safer at the farm than she would be in the Pride Lands. 

Therru had been chopping wood when a dozen or so bipedal cats marched into camp. A wary look came over her face. She set her ax down and approached the Russian Blue and his clowder.

"Who are you?" Therru demanded petulantly, a puzzled frown wrinkling her brow. She had always been leery of strangers and rarely spoke to them. Back at the farm, she would let Tenar do the talking while she did the watching. But Tenar wasn't here, and Therru had known that she would have to step out of her comfort zone to discourage trespassers.

[Grey Brother]

Grey Brother laid sprawled out on his side resting, the Indian wolf lifted his head at the sound of the cat and his soldiers. He tilts his head puzzled by the group of cats, there was nothing like that back in his jungle. Grey opens his mouth giving a yawn and stands up walking towards Therru and the clowder.

[King Lune]

The soldiers at the king of cat's side stood defensive as he was approached and questions in a demanding tone, but Lune simply lifted his paw to put them at ease, crossing his arms behind his back to bow courteously to the stranger, seemingly unfettered by the petulance of her tone, "apologies, we're new to these parts still and have not properly introduced ourselves to everyone."

He gestured to himself, "I am King Lune, hailing from the Kingdom of Cats, my soldiers and I decided to lend our paws in aid of the cause." There was a murmur of agreement among the assemblage of cats, and Lune turned mismatched eyes up kindly, "it is a pleasure to meet you, by what should I call you?" He blinked slowly, a sign of trust in the language of cats.

His attention was divided when one of his soldiers nudged him to alert him of the wolf approaching, and there was a collective grumble of exasperation when he merely waved in greeting, far too used to their king's amiable and friendly demeanor, "greetings! My you are a magnificent beast!" He'd never in his life seen wolves, stories and pictures sure, but such things weren't seen in the land of cats, he was likely to see many things that weren't often seen in the land of cats here, "I am Lune." He gave another bow to the wolf, "and you are?"

[Grey Brother]

“Greetings! My you are a magnificent beast!"

“Why, uh thank you” Grey Brother beams proudly, puffing out his chest with pride. He once more studies the group of cats for a moment, yellow orbs carefully scanning the group with their odd little weapons

"I am Lune."
Grey Brother dips his head in greeting, still all smiles
"and you are?"

“I’m Grey Brother, of the great Seeonee wolf pack from the Jungles of India. Where do you hail from?” A ear flicks as a fly buzzed around his head. “Your uh, outfit I never seen anything like it where I’m from” he couldn’t picture Bagheera in this get-up although in some other world he could indeed picture the old panther in some sort of fancy suit.

[Michi]

"I think he said something about a "kingdom of cats","
Michi gave an upside down smirk at Grey Brother from the spot where she lay, sunning on a rock. The usually bouncing kitten was having a bit of a lazy day today, but the arrival and greeting of this new cat hadn't slipped her notice.
Letting out a small yawn, she rolled onto her belly and tilted her head in the direction of the strangers,
"I've never heard of a place like that though."

Stretching, she lept off her warm perch, trotting up to the king and his followers,
"It's nice to see more cats around though, for a while I thought I was gonna be the only one. I mean, yeah, there's the lions and all that, but they're like HUGE,"
She sat on her haunches and waved her paws as she said this, trying to explain the size of the big cats,
"most of the animals and creatures here are actually, but you don't gotta worry, we're all allies here, so nobody is going to hurt you," here she was speaking more so to Lune's followers, who still seemed a bit on edge.

Her ears twitched, and there was a moments pause before she placed a paw behind her head, a sheepish chuckle escaping her muzzle,
"Oh, I'm Michi by the way, hiya!"

[King Lune]

Lune's ears pricked with interest when the wolf, Grey Brother he said is name was, mentioned India, "ah yes, I have a second cousin thrice removed who hails from India...Granted it isn't the jungle, he lives with a human." He gave another polite and perhaps flourishing bow and flashed a friendly smile, "but it's a pleasure to meet you!" At the comment of his outfit, he laughed and looked himself over, "I suppose it is quite strange to see a cat in such things..." He admitted, most cats even from where he was from didn't wear many clothes, he could imagine it was a strange sight to one who'd never seen such a thing before.

His tail curled and he turned a smile to the other feline, nodding, "the Kingdom is...Well...It's sort of parallel to this one." He gestured with his paws as he tried to explain, "it's almost like another plane, inhabited only by cats..." His tone was perhaps a little wistful as he spoke, he was glad to be here helping, but homesickness couldn't be avoided he supposed.

In the next moment he brightened though and nodded, "yes! I spotted a lion and my poor contingent were quite alarmed!" He laughed, eyeing the way the other cats shuffled a little sheepishly, "that's good to know though, so you all can be at ease, hm?" He turned back and rose a kitty-brow at them, looking amused.

When Michi introduced herself, he bowed her way too, "pleased to meet you! I look forward to having you all by my side!" He looked around curiously, "I suppose I should ask where everything is in such a sprawling place..." He'd only just arrived after all, and didn't know his way around yet!

[Kiara]

The arrival of the Cat King's contingent had not gone unnoticed. Above in the trees a group of winged gossipers had found the sight quite at odds with the norm; with a chitter and a whirl they had winged away to Pride Rock. It wasn't long afterwards that a young lioness padded down the stony slopes, a pair of adults at her heels. Kiara made her way through camp at a ground-eating trot, tail tuft held at a confident high. It was important for monarchs to appear confident she felt. Even if they didn't really feel entirely so.


It didn't take long for the crown princess to navigate the network of tents that spiraled around her home and come upon the gathered few. Kiara stopped then, a slight smile upon her melancholy face as her guards took up stations on either side of her rear. "Perhaps I might be of some assistance, one ruler to another. A little bird told me that a royal contingent had entered camp: allow me to welcome you. I am Kiara, Crown Princess of the Pridelands."