The Twins • Book One • Wattys2017

Chapter 11- The Plan

Author's Note: I hope you like my story! Feel free to voice your opinion, ask any questions and point out any mistakes I make.

Saber's POV

I haven't seen Nia this relaxed in a long time, it's nice. Ever since she's been having that dream, it's like this massive weight has been on her shoulders. Her beautiful smile hasn't fully reached her shining eyes for a while; I'm happy that she's happy.

I silently follow her and Ivy through the forest with Wolf padding next to me. They are talking to each other, and I don't want to ruin that. Nia has found her sister and found out the truth about her, and the dream. Even though my heart is screaming at me to be next to her, to touch her, to smell her intoxicating scent, to hear her laughter, see her smile, I'm holding back to give her and Ivy privacy.

It'd be nice to be able to talk to Wolf. He and Ivy seem like good friends, obviously nowhere near as close as Nia and I are, but they are still close. Other than Nia, I don't have any close friends, and I feel like I might need a close guy friend in the future. What if I need... advice? Even though I've been best friends with Nia for basically my whole life, I might need help with relationship stuff. I've only ever had eyes for her.

Lightning seems cool as well, maybe we could be friends. Wolf might be hard to crack, since he seems so distant, which worries me.

My blood runs cold as I smell a familiar scent and hear footsteps lightly padding through the undergrowth.

"Dark Hounds!" I roar ahead to Nia and Ivy, then I start to sprint. "We need to get up the trees, the Hounds are too big to follow us!"

"Yeah, let's go!" Nia yells and helps Ivy get up a tree. I look over at Wolf and look up at the top of the trees and over at Ivy and Nia, who are steadily climbing, and I hope he understands the message as I quickly get up another tree. I see Wolf got up a tree and not a moment too soon as the Dark Hounds year through the undergrowth and stop under the trees that we are in.

I breathe a small sigh of relief as I only see two Dark Hounds, and I know that we are all safe. Or that's what I thought.

"I thought these Hounds were supposed to be good at tracking scents!" A dark Warrior, probably the leader of the group with him, shouts in frustration. "If they are so good, then where are they? The Hounds stopped here, but there aren't any princesses!"

"Sir, we are dealing with cat shapeshifters here." A different Dark Warrior states nervously. The one from before snaps

"So? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Well Sir, the cat shapeshifters can turn into any type of cat, including leopards, who are extremely good at climbing trees." The Dark Warrior timidly explains, so frightful of the leader, or is it someone else?

"So what you're saying is those brats are hiding in the trees, staring down at us like a bunch of fools!" The leader screams in rage. My concentration is taken from the scene below as I slip into the connection with Nia.

"Saber, I think we should fight them." She suggests. I mentally shake my head.

"If it was just the Dark Warriors or just the Dark Hounds, I'd agree. But, it's not. It's both."

"What if the scent that the Dark Hounds are looking for started to run? Following their commands, they would follow, wouldn't they?" Nia says. I growl as I realize what she's saying.

"You and Ivy would be bait to lead the Hounds away while Wolf and I get rid of the Warriors." I hate to admit it, but that is a good, but reckless, idea.

"Exactly."

"No. No way. It's too risky." My heart starts to beat quicker in fear at the thought of losing Nia.

"Saber, trust me we will be fine. I can teach Ivy how to leap from tree to tree, we will stay off of the ground but still lead them away. Then, once you and Wolf finish, you can find us and help get rid of the Hounds. Also, you should know me well enough by now to know that I'm doing it anyway." With that, Nia breaks out of the conversation, and through the connection I can feel her start to move away from me. I groan in frustration at her stubbornness and idiocy.

Once the Dark Hounds are lead away, I nod at Wolf and leap down to his surprise. But, like I knew he would, Wolf jumps off as well and starts to attack the Dark Warriors. I only hope Nia and Ivy are okay.

Nia's POV

I leap through the trees with Ivy carefully following me. We get a good distance away from Saber, Wolf and the Dark Warriors, so I decide that we can wait for them in this tree. I sit on a branch near the trunk as I wait for Ivy to make the jump across to this tree when I hear her yelp of surprise and fear. My heart tightens as I realize what happened.

Ivy fell.

I immediately make my way rapidly down the tree and leap on the back of one of the Dark Hounds, biting its neck. Ivy leaps to attack it as well, swiping at it as I tear at its neck, killing it. What we forgot is that there are two...

The second one jumps on me, knocking me down to the ground, pinning me down. Ivy stares at me, attacking the Dark Hound as hard as she can. But, with one powerful and well aimed paw swipe, it sends Ivy crashing against a tree, stunning her. I start to smell her blood. The impact on her head probably made a cut, and I know what I must do.

"Ivy, run! Go back to Saber and Wolf, lead them back here!" I command. Whimpering, Ivy just stares at me, not wanting to leave me alone with this beast. "Go!" I growl. Ivy yelps and runs off with one last mournful look back at me. I wait for the killing blow that's sure to come from the massive beast pinning me down, but it never comes. Instead, the Dark Hound howls.

Not long after the howl, Dark Warriors surround my spot in the forest. The Hound gets off of me and I hear a Warrior say

"At least we got one, that should satisfy the queen for now. Quick, let's go before her friends come looking for her." I look around at all of the Warriors surrounding me in a circle, but one face makes me freeze in surprise. One face that I never thought I'd see again, yet it's the last thing I see as something heavy hits me in the back of my head, effectively knocking me out.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Note:

Hey guys! I'm going to start putting questions at the end of my chapters. They are totally optional, you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but I will answer them as well.

Question:
Are my chapters too long?
I think they might be a bit too long at some times, but I'm not sure. So if they're too long, or if you like the long chapters, tell me! I will listen to feedback and I will try to fix my story to satisfy everyone, or at least as many people as I can. I hope you enjoy!

~Cat Queen