~Fire in the night~

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Shrill shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure how we do it. I just know we do."

The she-cat draped her slender silver tail over the small kit's shoulders. "You did amazing today, Soul."

"Shrill!"

"Owl!" Shrill called delightedly. "Up here! That's my big brother," she added to the kit.

A muscular tomcat suddenly appeared, his white coat blotched with golden brown marks. Blood ran from his mouth and throat, a sign of his murderous and bloody death.

"Who's this?" he asked, his violet eyes set on Soul.

"This is my friend, Soul!" the white she-cat called. She leaned over and took a light grip on Soul's scruff, thinking about a rock and falling to the ground. Landing with a light thump on her paws, Shrill set Soul down at her side.

[Nightstar]

Soul recoiled as another cat appeared, a ghost he, like all ghosts bore the signs of his death. Soul may of been fine with Shrill, she counted the older cat as a friend already, but she trusted male cat about as much as she could fight them. As soon as souls feet touched the ground she hissed furiously and backed behind Shrill.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Owl's eyes narrowed as the little kitten hissed. "Relax, don't bite. Not looking for fight. Just talk to sister." Damn speech defect, the tom cursed himself.

Flicking his gaze up to his little sister, he continued. "Need leave soon. Bad feeling."

Shrill slouched in disappointment. "Oh, okay. I'll be home before dark, promise."

Owl nodded. "Good." And he vanished into thin air.

Shrill twitched. "That's my big brother Owl. You'll have to excuse him; he can't talk right. His wound on his throat is deeper than mine and my other brother's. It affects him more." She smiled down at the kit hiding behind her. "It's okay, he's harmless. Only when he's mad, he's dangerous. Or if he's training. But he used his head and knows better than to attack a she-cat."

[Nightstar]

Soul looked down at the grass under her paws. "Sorry." She mumbled, flexing her small claws carefully. "I'm just (cough) not used to (wheeze) others (hack) terribly much." She glanced quickly up at Shrill, hoping her friend wasn't mad at her.

>Sorry<

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Shrill smiled warmly down at the little one. She wasn't angry; nowhere near it. Soul was just timid, and her defensive reflexes were kicking in. There was nothing to be mad about.

"Well, I'll have to be leaving soon. There's a big thing coming up and, well... I have to go fight. Do you have anywhere to stay? I'm sure that you'll be welcome in my home. The fight isn't happening anywhere near our cave, so you'll be safe. Owl keeps to himself, and my other brother is a lot like me! You'll just adore him!" Shrill was getting excited. Soul could come and live with her! She wouldn't have to be alone out here! And maybe Owl could heal her throat up enough to the point where she wasn't gasping for breath.

"What do you say, Soul?" she asked, smiling widely.

[Nightstar]

Soul was relieved that Shrill wasn't mad at her, she was worried about her friend going off to fight and was slightly confused at the consequences of a fight could be. Ghosts couldn't die could they? She started purring as she imagined living with Shrill, even the idea that she would see her friends brothers wasn't as daunting. She was about to open her mouth to agree when a startling thought came to the front of her mind. Her fur, puffed up with excitement, deflated until it was back to normal, she looked up at Shrill wearily. "I can't." She whispered looking over her shoulder at the scene behind her, "I'm sorry Shrill, but I can't" She looked down at her paws dejectedly and then glanced over her shoulder again, just in case.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Shrill's smile broke, replaced with a slight frown. "Why not?" she asked gently, tipping her head to the side. "Is there something here that you don't want to leave? Or are you just afraid? There's nothing to be scared of, Soul... I just might get hurt in the fight because you have to be partly solid to attack, and when your solid, things can touch you."

Shrill was worried that the fight was what was keeping the kit away. The white cat just wanted to let Soul know that she wasn't going to get hurt. Shrill had told her that she was untouchable, and she wanted to keep that true.

[Nightstar]

Soul shook her head quickly, wanting to reassure her friend that it wasn't her. "No it's (hack) not the (cough) fight, and theres (wheeze) nothing here (gasp) that's keeping (splutter) me here." She paused, fighting with the usual lack of breath she got whenever she talked to much, to fast. "And I would (cough) love to stay (hack) with you, I'm so (gasp) sick of being (wheeze) alone, it's just....." Soul looked down at her paws, "I just (hack) can't"

>Sorry it's taking me so long to reply, I have a horrific amount of studying to do for my exams.<

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

OOC:: That's okay

Shrill stood up and smiled. "I understand, Soul," she meowed. "But, if you ever want to come and see us, we're just down there, in a cave." The she-cat flicked her silver tail in the direction of her home. She wished that Soul would come with, but if she didn't want to leave or if she just needed to think, Shrill would wait.

"But, I must leave, Soul. I have to go and stay with my live brother tonight. That is where the fight will be. And, even when we aren't there, feel free to stop by and relax. No one minds, I promise."

[Nightstar]

Soul purred loudly, "Thanks (cough) Shrill." She mewed, "I will (hack) visit! I (wheeze) promice. (gasp)" Soul looked in the direction Shrill had gestured with her tail, setting it into her mind. She sat down and curled her fluffy tail aroung her paws, she looked at Shrill gravely. "Can ghosts (cough) die again?"

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Shrill was smiling.

Until Soul asked that question.

"Um," she faltered. "Well, yes. Ghosts can die once more." The she-cat's gaze darkened, and she looked away, off into the distance. "But, if you do, you become one of the Disturbed for sure. The Disturbed are cats that have died and become murderous spirits, their wounds over-exaggerated to the point you can't tell how they died for sure. If you die once more, you no longer have the ability to speak in English. Latin is your new tongue. English dies from your mind and you no longer understand it."

Shrill shrugged, smiling once more down at the kitten. "Sorry," she purred. "I shouldn't be scaring you like that. It's very hard to kill a ghost, so you don't need to worry."

[Nightstar]

Soul regarded her new friend with grave eyes, "Be careful Shrill." She said with an amazing lack of interruptions from her throat. "I wouldn't want you to (cough, wheeze) become a Disturbed one (hack)" She paused, watching Shrill for a moment longer then said, "And you (cough) don't need to (gasp) be worried (hack) about scaring (wheeze) me" She smiled up at Shrill, she had faced a lot, death wasn't something that bothered her, she had welcomed it when it had been her turn to part with the living world.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

Shrill nodded solemnly. "Right," she meowed to her friend. Bending down, the white she-cat brushed muzzles with the kitten. "Be good while I'm gone. And stay inside at night. They don't pity kits." She was fussing like a mother. Standing up, Shrill tried -and failed- to drive away the pit of worry in her belly.

"Bye, Soul," she meowed. "I'll come see you after the fight. I promise."

And with that, the she-cat turned away, flicking her tail in a silent farewell, and ran towards her home.

I promise.

[Nightstar]

Soul watched her new friend bound away, she couldn't bear the idea that her friend would be hurt, she had only just found her. Soul turned slowly and padded away she hoped that Shrill would be alright, she didn't like the sound of the Disturbed. She paused for a moment then continued wandering, like she always had.

[.:*Hawkstar*:.]

OOC:: I think that we are finished?