One Broken Past

Chapter 5

    She sighed and sniffed the air like her instructor had said to do, the only thing she could smell was her humiliation that was about to come. She also smelled Forent that was right next door and someone had strayed over the border for a little while, but it wasn't Forent that had gone over, it was Grasen.
    "Someone's been across the border" she said a little hesitant, "yes, but on which side?" Tenkir standing tall while the others watched her and waited for the moment to laugh at her, some snickers could already be heard. She sighed and responded "Grasen went across" Tenkir looked confused, "are you sure?" Tenkir walked closer and sniffed the air and then bent down to sniff the earth as well.
    "You're right" he said surprised as he stood up, "then we either have a traitor or a fool!" he snapped and turned back towards the group of trainees. "Every Grasen Cat has a unique smell but we can distinguish between a Grasen and a Forent, we will find who crossed this border and we will punish you for it" he growled.
    Kyzira looked back and noticed paw marks in the earth, she looked down and noticed they were quite small, almost as if a kit had wandered across, then she sniffed and smelled more than one. She looked around and noticed some bigger paw prints they seemed to have shoved the smaller one over the border on purpose so he would get in trouble.
    "Wait!" Tenkir looked back at her, "there were more than one, there are paw prints here to confirm it and there's another thing" Tenkir seemed intrigued. "There was a kit here along with two older ones, the kit was intentionally shoved across" Tenkir, not believing her, bent down where she was and she showed him where the prints were and the size of them.
    "Wait a second, I know this kit, the smell is so familiar..." Tenkir trailed off and then stood up and faced the group. "Kyzira and I will go into Tiger Village and find the kit, the rest of you patrol the rest of the border, understood?" they all saluted and said "yes Tenkir!" and then they were off.

    "Here's where the kit lives" Tenkir said calmly, he knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. A lioness answered the door and looked at Tenkir confused, "yes?" she asked, "we would like to have a word with your daughter" the lioness looked worried.
    "Is she in trouble?" Tenkir shook his head, "no, we need to ask her who shoved her across one of our borders so she would get in trouble, but thanks to Kyzira here she noticed that your daughter wasn't alone" the lioness got a look of relief and opened the door for them.
    "Oh thank goodness, please, come in, come in" and Tenkir walked inside and Kyzira followed. "Mama who's-" the little she-kit stopped and looked up at Tenkir and smiled, "Tenk!" she ran up and gave him a hug, Tenkir picked her up and hugged her back.
    "I need to ask you something" Tenkir said in a serious tone and set her back down. "Sure what is it?" she said as she climbed up on to a chair, Tenkir pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. "Were you shoved over the Wintile border?" she looked a little worried, "yes but it wasn't my fault, these two older kits pushed me" Tenkir nodded.
    "We know you were pushed, but by who?" she was silent for a little while as she thought, "one was a tabby the other was a black cat, I think he had white spots but I don't remember, I don't know their names but I think they live near by, I could point them out for you" Tenkir smiled. "That would be great if you could" she smiled and got up from the chair.
    "Shall we go now?" she asked opening the door, as soon as she did there was two kits standing there, one tabby, the other a black kit with white spots. "I told you I saw him come here, you're in trouble now Winlen" the tabby kit teased, the black and white kit laughed a little. "Those are them" Winlen said as she turned back to Tenkir and Kyzira, "trying to blame us Winlen?" the black and white kit hissed. She shook her head and Tenkir stood up and walked over to them.
    "We were looking for you" Kyzira stood up and quickly walked over to where Tenkir stood and braced herself knowing they would probably try and run. The two kits looked at each other and took off running, but Kyzira was ready for them and immediately grabbed their arms before they could and pulled them back. Tenkir took one of them and then went for the other and Kyzira looked confused.
    "I'll take them to the queen, you can go back to the camp, I'll be there soon" she saluted him and then stepped out of the house. "Won't you stay?" Winlen asked before Kyzira had gone anywhere, she shrugged. "Why not, I technically don't have to be back at the camp at any specific time" and so she walked back inside and Winlen climbed back into her chair.
    "Have you heard anything lately? About Vinyash and Ditra?" Kyzira shook her head, "no, with spies and such running around we don't hear a lot about that stuff anymore" Winlen shook her head slowly and looked down. "It's quite a shame isn't it? How you can't even tell your friends of the praise you receive for completing something only the queen or commander sent you out to do?" Kyzira sighed, "I don't have any friends, and I don't even get any 'special' tasks from my commander or the queen" she rested her head in her hands.
    "Really? Well with that performance earlier I'd say that's about to change" Kyzira looked at her curiously, "well you certainly earned my friendship if that makes you feel any better" Kyzira looked excited. "Really?" Winlen nodded, "of course! You certainly saved my hide with that excellent nose of yours and your ability to see tracks in the flattened grass!" Kyzira looked confused.
    "How did you know about that?" Winlen looked a little nervous and shrugged, "well Tenk said that without you he wouldn't have know it was an accident and I don't think his eye sight is as good as it used to be" she laughed a little and Kyzira laughed as well.
    "That is true, I think his sense of smell is getting a little worse as well, he recognized your scent though" she pointed out, Winlen shrugged. "That may be true but that is to be expected from someone who's know the scent of a close friend almost their whole life" Kyzira nodded.
    Winlen hopped down from the chair and went into her small room and pulled out a bracelet. She came back and held out her hand, "it's the least I can do to thank you" Kyzira took it and held it in her hand. "It's beautiful, and purple is my favorite color" she slipped it onto her wrist.
    It was one of those simple yarn bracelets but it was intwined with three different shades of purple. Kyzira loved it and knew she would definitely remember Winlen forever.