Cursed Division - Kindred Whispers book 2)

Chapter 2

The wind whistled through barren icy land. Fierce winds whipped the remaining leaves on the dead trees. Snow rained from the sky, icy flakes dancing down. The breeze was cool and brought unearthly polar winds, sharp and raw. The frigid breeze was crisp. With the snow, brought rumbling thunder that came from far over the horizon. Brittle icicles broke free off frozen ledges. They crashed on ice, shattering into tiny fragments.

Midnight struggled through the deep snow, her head hung low as snow splashed down on her black fur, turning it white. She shivered in the barbaric breeze, cold to the bone. How could any creature survive these harsh conditions? Her paws were buried deep in the snow. Putting one paw in front of the other was nearly impossible as her paws were numb, and so cold that she had no feeling in them. She felt like she was about to collapse. How much she would give just for a small cave to shelter in from the harsh weather. Her body ached and her vision was merely more than a blur. Her pelt was frosted and her eyelids were heavy with exhaustion. Her stomach growled and her head ached.

"Please." She begged to the empty lands around her. "Please help me. I don't know how much longer I can go on."
Her plea was met with fiercer winds and she let out a whimper of misery. She was lost, cold, tired, and feverish. The desperation for survival was high as the thought of falling over into endless darkness threatened to overwhelm her. Any morsel of prey would be a blessing, anything to get her strength back up.

Her paws grew more and more heavy, and finally, her body gave way and she plopped down in the deep snow with a gasp. She didn't bother trying to rise to her paws. They refused to let her stand and her body was enjoying this short break from her endless trek. Even though her body was laid in wintry snow, she didn't care. She longed to close her eyes and doze off even if it was only for a few moments. Her body began to give way into darkness. She couldn't tell if it was sleep or death. Whatever it was, it was welcoming and she almost allowed herself to sink into its reaching depths. But the prodding of a paw on her shoulder made her eyes flutter open.

A beautiful thick furred white cat stood above her. The cat's fur blended in almost perfectly with the snow. The white cat gazed down at her with brilliant blue eyes.
Midnight felt her heart sink. Was she dead? Was this cat here to welcome her to her next life?
As if reading her thoughts, the white cat answered. Her voice was soothing and soft as her breath stirred Midnight's ear fur. The white cat's chilly nose was pressed softly against her head.
"There there little one, you are not dead. You are anything but. You are alive and well, and I am here to help you."
Midnight felt a sense of calmness wash over her. This cat made her feel at ease and she could almost sink into a gentle doze at the sound of her soothing voice.
The white cat helped Midnight rise to her feet and once back on all four paws, Midnight felt energy flood back through her body. Who was this cat? What sort of power did she have over her?

"Who are you?" Midnight asked, glancing around. For first time she was confused on where she was. The last thing she remembered was curling up to sleep in her den in PeaceLeaf Forest. Now she was in a mysterious snowy barren land with a strange cat she's never seen before standing in front of her.
"No need to fear." The white cat assured.
"Who are you?" Midnight repeated, her voice turning cold like the snow beneath her.
"Frostine." The white cat replied with a swish of her fluffy tail.
"Frostine?" Midnight had never heard or seen this cat before.
Frostine dipped her head. "Do you know where you are?"
Midnight glanced around the bleak snowy land and shook her head.
"You're dreaming." Frostine explained. "I have traveled a great distance to find you."
Midnight blinked, confused. "But why? I don't even know who you are."
Frostine patted her shoulder with her tail. "You will in time. Follow me." Without waiting for a reply, the frost colored cat turned tail and stalked away. Warily, Midnight followed.

Her paws began to feel sore once more and Midnight was about to suggest they stop, but before she could say anything, a bright white light blinded her as the barren land around her vanished and she was swallowed whole by brightness before her ears rang and her blurry vision subsided into new scenery. She was in rocky mountains. The mountains were covered in snow and Midnight traveled in a frosty gorge on slippery soil, a frozen river on one side of her, trees on the other, the mountain stretching upward just a little way off. They treked down the path until Frostine followed another path through the trees. There was less snow here and Midnight followed tirelessly behind her until they emerged at the edge of the forest and onto barren snowy land. It looked a lot like the barren land she was in earlier. This time, further off, Midnight could see a lake, frozen as well and another forest on the opposite side of the forest Midnight had just emerged from. Near the lake, there was a deep dip in the snow, around it lined snowy bushes. The dip was big and once both cats were on its edge, below Midnight could see stone dens and holes in the stone walls leading to darkness. This place reminded Midnight of the PeaceLeaf camp. Cats were moving around in the camp, coming out of dens or going in the stone holes. In the center stood a large, tall spiky rock. A hole was engraved in it. It looked like a den. Outside it, a long furred white cat was licking his paws.