Taken in the Night

Chapter 5- Ice

EDITED

--Ice--

I take off after the frantic creature, if it were up to one of the others it wouldn't have seen their face before it was dead but for unknown reasons I gave the thing mercy and now it's running away from me. The thought almost makes me growl.

It trips, blood starts rushing from its head. Uh, it smells so good! A lick shouldn't hurt, should it? I stick my tongue out ready for a taste of what I missed out on but withdraw before I could get a drop of the warm, metallic, delicious blood flowing from its head. Mmm...

The unconscious animal in front of me groans, I know what I have to do even if it means I don't eat for a day or two. Grabbing the back of its neck I drag it west, towards the walkers habitat.

Halfway there something starts to smell... Off. A walker must be nearby, just as I think that a walker falls out of a tree, shouting things I don't understand. It doesn't notice me while I stand there watching with another thing in my mouth.

I hiss and the walker looks over at me, already seizing me up. I don't need dinner so I might let this one go. It's eyes flick to the creature in my mouth, says something, and attacks. Walker is slow, so I carefully place the thing on the ground before baring my teeth. This is going to be my first battle with a walker.

His doesn't have a weapon but instead something rips, I'm hoping it's his flesh. Sadly it's just that stuff on their backs all the time. In its place is a dog about the size of me, it growls.

I'm not scared of it so I stare it in the eye, daring it to make the first move. It doesn't disappoint. It lunges for my windpipe, with a roar I haven't been able to make before I push it into a tree and start banging it's head. Someone nips at my neck so I stand down, my eyes never meeting Nala's.

What is it? She asks.

It was a walker I answer, eyes still lowered.

Ah, a shifter she says.

What's a shifter? I'm hesitant.

Look at yourself Ice, your a cat now and somehow you can go back to what you were before Nala states.

Something snaps a twig behind us and both our heads snap toward the cause. The dog or shifter or whatever has the other creature in its mouth, trying to drag it away. I start stalking forward.

Ice! Stop, I will handle the shifter you handle the cub Nala demands. I nod my head and wait.

The two fight for a bit, Nala obviously the stronger one. While Nala draws the shifter away from the 'cub' I sneak over, grab it collar and run. I don't care if it gets a little hurt, wounds heal. I just don't want it dead.

Only when I get to the walkers territory do I slow, still wound up from the fight.

She's right you know a voice whispers in my ear. I spin but no ones there.

Who are you? I snarl. She laughs.

Raven, and your Ice, or that's what Nala named you she answers.

Where are you?

Inside you

I didn't eat you once did I?

No, I'm your cat. Most people get a wolf but you started becoming more cat-like the goddess thought it would be wrong to try wipe away all your feline instincts and replace them with wolf ones.

I didn't understand a word you just said

I'll explain after you drop the child off at his house