Journey for hope

Catrina stood at the edge of the woods, staring across the grassy plains ahead of her. The wind blew around her, its heat reminding her of the ending spring. It would only get warmer the farther south she went.

She had sent a letter to the current head of state, informing them of her plan. Drandmir was not winning. Nothing was working against the fey. She herself would have liked to live peaceably alongside them, but she still felt the horror and shame of them parading one of her friends around. While there was no true harm done, the scoring of Sharjinka’s image was angering enough. Something had to be done. They had to win their land back at all cost.

First she had thought of the nearby kingdoms, but her heart sank when she thought of their own plights going on. She could not feel that they would be willing, much less able to help a suffering Kingdom when they themselves were crippled. So she turned her sights southward.

She knew of friend in the southern kingdoms who just might have the means to help. Sending a messenger though… She felt that was too impersonal for their plight. No, something like this needed to be explained in person. She had to ask for their help herself. Then they might understand the gravity of her kingdoms situation.

Since her “procuring” of the artifact from the island that allowed her the ability to change into her cat form at will, she had chosen not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Everything comes at a price, especially when dealing with artifacts and what this one did to her was… unusual. After releasing the power of the amulet, and changing back, sometimes she would not be able to change again for many days. The other times, she would transform without warning at unusual times, as though the forcing of the change had thrown her off of her natural “cycle”. Sometimes she would wake up, only halfway changed, one arm feline all the way up to the shoulder, and a snout, but everything else was human. Once she was finally back onto her normal “schedule” she refrained from using the amulet unless it was absolutely necessary.

She turned and looked behind her, back into those dark woods. She grabbed the amulet from the pouch she had carefully crafted for it, and held it with determination. She turned back towards the plains.

Shadowmist. She knew of someone there who might help. She closed her eyes, and allowed herself to feel the power flowing through the amulet. The power of a full moon entrapped. It coursed through her, ice cold and burning hot. There was no gentle shifting this time. No slow change. The cracks of her shifting bones, the pain of her suddenly elongated fangs shot through her head. Her vision swam for several moments afterwards. The fur covering her body tingled with heat. This time the change came with a slight nose bleed. After the blood had stopped, and a long drink from a nearby brook, she turned toward the south.

“It’s now or never” She thought.

And she started running. Towards Hope. Towards Shadowmist.