By Paw and Sail

Chapter 8: War Klatch [Silvereyes]

"How long is she going to make us wait?"

"Just relax," Loradin said.

The impatient panther yawned as he tapped his nails on the stone table. He had been at the Ire since morning. It smelled bad and there wasn't anything good to eat. He planned to return to the second division's camp as soon as the klatch was over.

"I saw her in the courtyard an hour ago," the third Pantra said.

The leader of the fourth division recently turned seventy, but countless layers of hard muscle still rippled beneath his gray fur. Kavadrin served as a commander before the Sovereign's rule, and maintained his position after the collapse.

Quirikta watched the three commanders silently. He was the only Dhoma inside the spacious underground chamber. With the exception of Loradin, the presence of the giant felines made him uneasy. They were powerful, majestic and frightening animals.

His brief meditation was interrupted in a matter of moments as the latch clicked and the door at the far end of the chamber swung open. A cloaked cat followed a large female panther into the room and shut the door behind him. The panther took her seat at the end of the table and her companion slid into the chair beside her. 

"Sorry," the female panther said. "I lost track of time."

"It's not a problem," Loradin replied quickly.

"Good. Well, I'll start with a word of gratitude for you Loradin," she said. "We may have lost the eastern half, but I know you fought hard to delay the scale-skins while the second division evacuated the cats."

Loradin nodded. The young commander seated at the center of the table leaned forward and narrowed his eyes as the female spoke.

"You know, we weren't on the front line, but my soldiers fought too. Hundreds of them died."

"I know that, Favaxin," she said. "We've been monitoring the movements of the legion and the scale-skins closely. Everyone in Centerhold is working on solving the problems we face."

The young panther snorted.

"I'm sure," he said. "You could help solve the problems by coming out here yourselves."

"Lock your fangs, kit," Kavadrin said. "What solutions do the Keepers have, Shirelin?"

The old panther turned his gaze to the female at the end of the table. She tilted her head in a shallow bow before continuing.

"I want to thank you both as well, and your soldiers," she said. "The last two months have tested the strength of Voss-Dhoma."

She paused to look around the table. Her green eyes narrowed as they swept across the small cat next to Loradin.

"I will thank the Silvereyes too, for his service to the legion over the last few weeks."

Quirikta returned her bow. He looked up as he felt the weight of a large paw on his shoulder.

"I also thank him," Loradin said.

"Now, we'll discuss our strategy for the coming weeks," Shirelin said. "First, I will address the fourth division's task of moving the eastern refugees."

She lifted a large cup to her mouth as she gestured at the old panther seated across from her.

"As I understand it, there are over fifty thousand cats living in temporary shelters between here and Centerhold," she said. "Another twenty thousand or more have already migrated to Urrack, Kostvor and elsewhere."

"That sounds right," the old panther said.

"The fourth division will move the remaining refugees through Centerhold and take them west over the bridge," she said. "We will surely reclaim the eastern half, but it will take years before trees and plants grow again. We will encourage them to establish permanent homes on Voss-Aiza."