Camini shuffled her tiger paw around in the grass. Her eyes were the size of golfballs as she stared down at a cricket. Every time it would chirp, Camini would involuntarily leap into the air in fright. Camini poked a paw at the insect. CHIRP! it went and made Camini fly through the air. She spun around in mid-air and ran to the treeline at the side of the socialization grounds. She dove into a tree hollow and quickly shoved herself as far back as she could.

Camini cowered in fear of the bug for several minutes, wishing her mother was there. Any other animal would be comfort to her, except for a predator. She didn't know what she would do if a predator came near to her. She began to whimper at the thought. Her lower jaw quivered and she couldn't control herself. Camini bawled, trying hard to stop herself but not succeding. Her tears ran down her face and poured into the tree's hollow.

Camini looked around, making sure no one had come. She should have been used to this by now. She should have been used to loneliness, being vulnerable and unprotected. She sniffled on last time and stood. She would have to get used to this. Being only a few months old, hardly a year even, she was motherless and fatherless. No one was around to tell her everything was alright, that she would be fine. No one to comfort her when she was scared, to tell her she was growing bigger and stronger by the day. That she was doing anything right.

Camini swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and walked out into the warm sunshine. She walked through the tall grass that waved high above her head. She looked high into the she and could barely see the sun. She lay down, her stomach growling from lack of food, as a cub she did not have full use of her claws and couldn't hunt; above that her teeth weren't fully in yet. Hopefully that cricket wold be back and she cold eat it this time.

Homeless
Lonelyness
Where did you go mother
What did you see
Before you were murdered
And I was left to flee
Mother, where is my father
Do I have siblings, half or another
Cousins, aunts uncles?
Someone else that could love
Me forever and ever

TigerDreaming, yet again was wandering the social grounds. It came familiar to her, this was like a home. She was safe from battles, but the creatures she meet and trusted, left in her blink of her medium blue eyes. Again, she was padding around, her paws large and stocky still. She could of run, but the sun shine on her coat made her feel droppy. She hated the sun burning on her back. Maybe that indicated that her father was an ice cat. Still, she moved into the shade, scanning the area.

Making more friends.. came the soothing voice of her guardian. Itment she was not alone, she kept a watch out. Well, there is another cub over there as if pointing, she moved her head for her. It was extremely annoying, but she did it none to often. TigerDreaming saw the cat, an Ice female. Strangley enough though the cub had a odd tiger leg. TigerDreaming sat and thought. She wasn't the type that run bound with pure delight. Instead, she crept up slowly, her giant paws acting like cushions that stopped most of the sound. But she did not consertart on this, and just slowly walked, causally as usual. The other cub, was about the same size as she. It was true she was tiny. Her tail flickered, and sitting infront of her.

Hiya.. she said, with a slight shiver to her tone. Was this cub a beast and would attack her? Or was it a fleeing type? Holding her ground, she introduced herself feebly My name's TigerDreaming... what's yours. It ws true she wasn't the master of discussion, but it was a start, and a potenial friendship. The sun refelcted on her back, shining her blue stripes. Her eyes, thining and widening like squeeing a stress ball. Her stubby legs frozen. Frozen like her father's heart.

She should be used to it. But she wasn't. Every time. Every single time she got near another horse, to close to another creature, the next thing she knew they where bleeding, she was bleeding, and then she was in pain.

Her head was low, body still matted with blood. Her eyes, usually so lively, where dull and tired. She was wounded, prehaps not life threateningly wounded, but sore all the same. Her head was nearly dragging along the earth. She wanted to stop and rest but she pushed onwards. Her sore paws stumbled over the earth as she walked onwards. Forever onwards. Was there no where she could go without something bad happening?!

Her head shot up, the spark in her eyes suddenly back. She flattened her ears snarling and swatted at the nearest tree. She regretted it. The wound on her shoulder the puma had inflicted on her burned instantly. Shishenti winced with pain, lowering her paw gently and limping a bit. Stupid stupid stupid! The world was so stupid, she was so stupid, the thing inside of her was so STUPID! That felin in the forest that had attacked her was STUPID!

Shishenti sat down with a hard thump and raised a paw to her face to begin licking herself clean. The wounds had to be cleaned, even if it would hur-she was alert again. A scent, a strong scent, had entered her nostrils. She stood up, wanting to press her body into the earth but pressing the strong impulse back. Her ears where twirling, trying to catch the slightest noise. She heard it, soft pawsteps, a sniff...

Shishenti's head turned towards the noise. She inched towards the wound, careful to make no sound on the earth and then...there it was. Not it...a she. There she was. Soft, small, skinny, tired looking, flopped on the ground like some sort of abandoned toy; she would have mistaked her for dead if it hadn't been for the steady rise and fall of the small cub's rib cage.

Shishenti really had no idea what to do. Prehaps its mother was nearby? Off hunting? She glanced left and right, suddenly very weary. Oh goodness, a mad mom was the LAST thing she wanted to mess with today.

Shishenti made up her mind, and inched closer. "Well...uh...hello there?" The greeting came out a question.

Melody trotted around the fields, tumbling ever so often. She wasn't the sturdiest filly. As she got up from another blunder she spotted a group of things. She had never seen anything other than draas in her whole life so this was a brand new experience for her, without a single thought she started towards the group, but then she halted, mama wouldn't want me to talk to strangers though . . She pondered for a moment more but mama would also want me to learn new things, and they don't look mean she then nodded her head in contentment and totted on. She then glided in front of all of them letting her curiosity burst out," What are you?" she asked looking at all of them.

Camini looked around. Animals crowded around and she couldn't figure out which one to talk to to. All three of them had ased a question, but Camini hardly knew how to answer any of them. What is my name? she thought. What really am I? She looked around at the one that looked most like her. It was spotted and black. It had asked a statement-question. She knew that much, but not her name.

Scared, Camini raced under the mare's hooves. She looked out from under the bigger creature's body. The mare's shadow covered Camini's body and protected her from the sun. Finally a break, she thanked her ancestors for the sun being off her back. The eyes of the other horses still beat down on her though, and she would have chosen the sun over them anyday. She slid deeper into the mare's shadow.

She heard her stomach growl again, louder than ever. Her mind raced. If she fled she might lose her chance to find a place to call home. If she stayd she wouldn't get fed. She was conflicted and thought about it for several long minutes before she let out a loud wail. She walked out from the shadows and heard her stomach growl again. It almost embarrased her but she went on, nothing would keep her from this.

"H-hi," she spoke in a quivering voice and her head hang low. "M-my n-n-n-name is Camini. Pleased to meet you." She smiled and looked up, her blue eyes shining in the light. The grass above her head blew in a new breeze and she relished in the cooler air.

Its... her... the dark felin TigerDreaming, was shivering. She was under the mare too. But it was not like she wanted to, the mare had stepped on her tail. It hurt like needles jabbed into your spine, then she couldn't feel it. Her tail was numb. She started tugging at it, but it was no use. She was stuck under the mare... that mare that reminded of her father... reminding of her mothers death. The vision, sprung in her head. The white felin; her mother laying in a thick pool of blood. Her eyes clouded with fear and death. A tear, bitter as mud itself rolled down her cheek. She turned to the cub. Where did they come from she was worried. She just wanted to talk to the other cub. TigerDreaming didn't have very close friends, she was an outsider. A half breed. Many saw her as a trait of evil of her father. Even though her heart was pure.

It was time to take some action. It was not true that TigerDreaming was a fool; but she oftened took serious risks. She gave a nod to the other cub, and sunk her teeth into shishenti's leg. Despite the moaning warning from her Guardian. Her tail broke loose, and she ran like the throughbred Farlap; straight in a tree. She wasn't a great climber, but she would climb up in a flash. She was hoping that the mare wouldn't go for her. She wouldn't want to be remined of her guardians mistake that left her sad, and depressing.

Shishenti stared, shocked. When you where covered in blood, and about ten times larger than what you where talking to, you tended not to expect what you where talking to to run under your legs. Shishenti sputtered a few times, then simply stared at the cub. If she had been in any other mood, she would have turned and started shouting things at the other animals here with her, or stepped to the side so that she wasn't standing over the cub. But she was WAY to shocked to do any of the that.

Then pain. She turned and found one of the cubs, a familiar one, one she had seen before, had sunk its teeth into her leg. She yowled with pain, flattening her ears and letting a small growl come from her lips. She didn't lash out, the pain had caught her off gaurd and she side stepped, nearly squishing poor little Camini as she went. She watched the tiger cub sprint off and climb the nearest tree.

Shishenti cursed softly under her breath. The world had gone mad. MAD. Everything had gone freaky, loopy...

"What the HECK was that for!" She snarled at TigerDreaming. The wound she had on her leg was not exactly big or deep, but still, she was in enough pain already, she didn't need little teeth prints in her fetlock. She swished her tail back and forth, the purple eyes burned once again with that strange fire.

Melody stood there patiently, they seemed to be ignoring her. She then was going to try a different greeting when all a sudden the small cat looking creature bit the big cat looking creature. She sulked backwards a bit scared at the sudden outburst of action. Her eyes were wide as she watched the small cat run off. The the big cat started yelling, at that point she was hiding in the grass. She trembled, as she looked at the angry big cat. so this is why mama said never talk to strangers

Elegance padded softly from the grass, her tailtip trailing calmly. Her body shimmered, despite the burning sun beating down her back. The dew soaked comfortingly into her pads, dampening them in all their wet wateriness.

Then the Shard saw the group. Her spike twitched from side to side in anticipation; she hadn't seen or met anyone for awhile. Her white fur stuck out plainly in the rainbow of colors formed by fallen leaves.

"Hi," she mewed. Her heart rose with hope when she saw Camini; this was the first time she'd seen another snow leopard since she'd left her mother.

Camini looked around. Animals were getting bitten, creatres were running every which way and the sun still beat down. Camini looked around at the scene. Gracious! she thought. Look at these savages! She glanced at the creature she had taken shelter under. Especially that one.... She stood perfectly , frozen in place.

She watched the one that had called herself TigerDreaming. She ran towards a tree, as if she was scared. Camini looked at the one that had spoken to TigerDreaming last. She had already decided to stay away from that one, it looked like nothing but trouble to her. She looked at the grass again. The cricket chirped. Camini jumped. A creature spoke.

Camini looked at the animal that had just arrived. It looked somewhat like her, but nothing she knew that she would want to be around that one even less, in the long run. She didn't know what to do. She could run, or she could stay. She could face these barbarians, or she could stay safe. Hmmmm... life or death? she was sarcastic with herself now. She thought for a while longer then made her decision.

She walked over to the newcomer, she seemed to be the only one paying her any attention. Camini stood in front of her and repeated, as little more confident now, "Hi, my name is Camini." Her eyes sparkled a little brighter than before, when she was huddled in the tree's hollow.

"I'm Elegance." The Shard sat down and curled her tail over her paws neatly. The spike's tip faced behind her, non-threatening because it could not be seen very easily. Her icy blue eyes glinted with friendliness and curiosity.

Elegance's fur prickled in pleasure as a chilly breeze picked up around her silver, black-dotted pelt. She blinked, enjoying the chilliness while she could; chilly would soon change to freezy, and that was what she liked.

Her heart was racing, she'd never seen such a scrawl in her life. This wasn't what she planned when she walked up to them what if they eat me!. This thought blazed through her mind and a bit of panic jolted up. Fannaly she calmed herself and gained her sainity.

She peeked her head out , seeing ya new comer. She saw another small cat walke over to her and greet her. She over heard their names, Camini and Elegance. She carefully crawled over to them, they seemed a bit nicer. When she reched them she poped up on her feet, she looked up at Elegance and said ," Hi!" she turned her head to Camini ," I'm Melody."

Elegance smiled and nodded in greeting. Suddenly, a scent flooded to her scent glands: deer! White-tails were easy to kill, and their meat was so tender...

Elegance snapped into action and pounced before it knew she was there. A swift bite to the neck, then a small prod with her spike was enough to take it down. The Shard sunk her teeth into the meat, lashing her tail with pleasure.

"Want some?" Elegance called to Melody and Camini.

Another failed attempt... She saw the ice cat offering the deer to the other cub, and the foal whivh she was curious about. The inraged Shishenti snarled at her, and her guardian kept quiet. Was this somesort of test she laid down for her. She slowly slunk down, with her ears folded in a position. I'm sorry, but you were stepping on my tail. she started sobbing. A childish habit that had her mark inside of her. She lay there, as if she was waiting to be ripped apart when her guardian took over, she stopped her tears. Her tail flickered. But her control was over, letting a sigh out. My mama was killed and I'm scared. I'm really sorry. I'm hungry and I don't have any one to look after me... she walked, past the 'crowd' and went in a tree, curling herself up into a ball of fuzzy and matted fur... waiting for anything.

She totally ignored the other creatures. Her attention flittered to TigerDreaming as the cub came down from the tree and started bawling.

And, ah, the half demon was tamed. Neshenti's blood ran in her veins, and even a creature like Neshenti couldn't leave a cub like this. Shishenti's snarl fell away. Her eyes which had been burning with fire before, dullened. She didn't even notice one of the creatures catch a white tail.

Her ears flicked downwards, her body language completely changing. "Oh gosh, don't cry..." Shishenti sputtered the words, they wheren't exactly comforting, they where more like desparate words. What was the matter with her?! She probably would have done the same thing, with her tail being stepped on like that! Dismissing this sudden anger for the after affects of the demon's mind having hold on her, Shishenti watched as the cub padded away towards the tree.

Shishenti's ears flattened even more. Her tail swished, in a way that told she was thinking about something. The felin shook her head, then loped towards the tree that the cub had curled up in.

"Look...I'm..."-Shishenti choked a bit here. She wasn't one to really apologize-"sorry. You just scared me and...I'm already hurt..."

Melody looked at the deer distastfully, " Um, thak you but I'm not very hungry." Looking at the dead carcass did make her lose her apatite, and quick too. She gulped and looked away, seeing The two other cats acting nice to each other now, she smiled. She laid down, and she watched them talk some more, then lost interest. She turned her attention to Elegance and Camini ," So were are you from, I really don't have a home yet. You see I'm looking for my mama." She smiled, it was full of hope. She wished to make friends while on this trek.

Camini smiled and ran through the grass, following the scent to the deer carcass. "Mmmm..." she said, looking at it with wide eyes. She bit into the flesh and swallowed, her stomach immediately thanking her for the meal by quietening down.

Camini took huge mouthfuls and when her stomach was full she slumped down to the grass. Then she heard Melody's question and perked her ears. "N-neither do I," she said, still stuttering a little because she wasn't use to haveing others to talk to. Maybe that's why I can't make friends, she thought. She licked her mouth to get rid of the blood and began to groom herself.

TigerDreaming, turned in the direction of the mare; once that looked that she was going to kill her - to what looked like a baby sister with a problem child. She bobed her head from her fluff ball curl, seeing her ears flattened. She would do... if she had the same issue, that. She got from her curl, her stubby legs gripping onto the smooth bark of the tree, her claws were out; but not is a fashion to attack. She was loosing a bit of grip.

It's alright, I'm sorry anyway. her ear folded back, her head tilting foward, noticing some of the scars on her rump, as if she was attack. Curiously, as a cub would do she asked.. that question. Where you in a battle? her tone, her head raised, her ears upright. That must of hurt! then came the whining, or guidance as her guardian called it.

I sense a danger... evil inside. Trust the being, but not the secert that lies within...

TigerDreaming, seathed her claws and slid from the bark. She landed with a thud, getting up to shake off some of the dust. She heard the thought of her ancestor, but she did not entirely knew what it meant of. She sat, looking, gazing at Shishenti. Are you alright? she asked, with a slight scent of fear. She smelt... a deer. The blood entering her nasal passage. She resisted, and waited for the older darker mare's answer.

Shishenti gave a wierd little forced smile as the cub climbed down from the tree. Good. Now she didn't feel so bad. But when the cub questioned her wounds the smile fell away. Her face became completely blank.

Shishenti's sides shivered a bit.

"You could call it a battle..." She looked a bit weary, she didn't really look at TigerDreaming as she said the words. The words where nearly nothing but a whisper, her lips barely moved as she said them. She tried to rid her mind of the memory of the strange drowning feeling, the darkness, and then awaking to nothing but gore and savagery. The creature that stalked her mind was not something she liked to talk about or thing about. She sometimes lied to herself, told herself that some day she would rid herself of the demon, and never have to deal with it again. Shishenti knew though, that it was really a problem, and that she may never live without the darkness in her head.

"I'll be okay, a few days rest and I will be as...good as new. I've dealt with worse things..." Shishenti lied again. No, she could never tell the cub about her problem, never, she would only make the cub more frightened, maybe even hate her like some horses did.

"So, we never really introduced ourselves did we? Well, I'm Shishenti. And you are TigerDreaming, am I right?" Shishenti gave the wierd little forced smile as she said the words, flicking her eyes toward the cub and locking gaze with her.