The Peace of the Wanderer

Chapter Four: The Three Sisters

Shadow tried to escape her prison for a few minutes before realizing she couldn't. The best thing to do at that moment was to cooperate. But Shadow didn't want to cooperate. She wanted to fight against her bonds.

Shadow calmed down a bit, but she was still tense. Like she had said, she was going to play a game called "Attack the Hind-Walker" when she got out of here.

For now, though, Shadow would just stare out the window. Where were they going?

Shadow glared at the passing landscape for a few seconds before quickly coming to a realization: the car wasn't going to the city. It was heading to the rows of houses beside the towering skyscrapers.

Where in the world are we going? Shadow asked herself, frustrated she couldn't come up with the answer. She lashed her tail in anger.

She watched as the car pulled up an unfamiliar asphalt driveway. The building it was connecting to was a townhouse with white siding and a black roof. The path leading up to the brown front door was cement, and was cropped with neat plants budding with flowers.

The Hind-Walker got out of the car. As it opened the door with its large hand, Shadow unsheathed her claws. She wasn't kidding about battling the Hind-Walker. But she then saw the sorrow in its eyes.

Ugh. Shadow, what are you doing? Let's face it: the creature is only trying to help. We're at a completely different house. We're probably going to have a new home.

With that, Shadow finally relaxed somewhat. But her brain still buzzed from anxiety. Would her new family be kind? Would she ever see her mother and siblings again? Would the family have other animals?

The Hind-Walker clumsily opened Shadow's cage door and gently picked her up. Her fur brushed against smooth skin. It was very strange. She had never felt a texture like that before.

The Hind-Walker carried her to the front door, softly stroking her body. Shadow shivered. She had heard about being pet by a Hind-Walker from her parents, but she had never experienced it. It felt nice, but she instantly knew she didn't want to be pet all the time.

The Hind-Walker rapped loudly three times on the door, and quietly waited, shifting its weight to its left foot.

Suddenly the door opened to behold another female Hind-Walker with short brown head-fur and ice-blue eyes.

"Oh!" It shouted. "Da do goo Puffball!"

"What?" Shadow said in surprise. She couldn't normally understand anything Hind-Walkers babbled about, but she caught this one's last word. Puffball.

Confused as she was, she was also excited. Would she be able to understand Hind-Walkers now? Probably not fully, but maybe catch a little of their words?

Shadow forgot about her thumping heart when she saw the inside of her new home.

The place was beautiful. It had white-washed walls, and luxurious cream colored carpet lined the floor, and the tables were a brilliant mahogany.

Though it may be pretty to pure-bred kitties, not unlike the Healer's place, it was too clean. It didn't seemed to be, well, lived in. There wasn't a speck of dust within a mile radius, and the only color on the wall were strange paintings made up with shapes.

Something told Shadow that she shouldn't destroy anything while she stayed at this house.

The female Hind-Walker eagerly murmured a soft "Tink youse!"

Shadow assumed the female had meant to say 'Thank you,' but she couldn't be sure. After all, Hind-Walkers could do the strangest things.

Loud footsteps pounded down the steps into the living room. Shadow became a bit jumpy at this time. What was making the noise?