the tails of worthy (spiret anamalls)

confuseion

Worthy stood, his brother at his side.

"So you know these people then" he said.

"You think?" joked Dawson.

"Ok, here goes." Worthy gulped. "Kind people, please listen. What have we done to harm you?"

"Dawson Trunswick, you killed our leader!"

"YOU DID WHAT!!!!"

"Erm, long story. We may be in trouble."

"You think!" said Worthy as he grabbed his brother's hand and ran. Worthy and Dawson ran at top speed through the woods when suddenly, a red-cloaked figure stepped out in front of them. She wore a cat mask like Worthy's but hers was more graceful looking and it smiled at him scarily. Shadow hugged Worthy.

"Worthy, I've missed you!" she said.

"Er, Shadow, you saw me this morning."

"Too long, huh?"

"Look, we're in trouble, we need to go." Shadow hugged Worthy tighter.

"Aww, what happened?" she said. Either something was terribly wrong with Shadow, or this wasn't her.

"Hey Shadow, remember this" said Worthy, pulling his tail out from under his cloak. He'd never showed it to Shadow.

"Yes, it's beautiful" said Shadow lovingly. Dawson caught Worthy's eye. Worthy shrugged. He needed one more thing.

"Shadow, take off your mask" he said.

"No" she replied.

"Whyever not?"

"I don't want to."

"Please, for me?"

"Fine" she said, her voice harsher. "I'll do it." Just as Shadow removed her mask the people who'd been hunting Dawson surrounded them.

"I loved my brother dearly. Such a shame we couldn't be together, Dawson" said Shadow, taking a step back. Worthy saw it was not Shadow it, instead, a girl about his age, maybe slightly older.

"Canshi, I'm sorry, you know that" said Dawson

"Ok Dawson, what's going on here?" asked Worthy.

"Soon after you left to join the Redcloaks, a girl from a forest tribe came to stay in Trunswick. She was beautiful and I fell in love with her instantly. We had a year of happiness together. Then her father died. She was distraught, not because she'd lost a family member, but because her younger brother was now Chief. The next day she proposed to me."

"What! So you're married!?"

"No, let me finish. I declined. She was mad. She needed power but I wasn't ready to give her it."

"If I couldn't marry into power I'd have to kill into it" said Canshi.

"The next day her brother was found dead on the floor of my palace" said Dawson sadly. "And she blamed me." Worthy noticed the men were gone. Clearly Canshi didn't want them knowing the truth.

"You sound like Devin Trunswick" he said.

"Hilarious, using yourself as an insult!"

"Ha ha, very funny, but I'll have you know I have claws."

"And so do I" she said. In a flash a jackal appeared at her side. It reminded Worthy of Zerif's jackal. Dawson summoned Rumfuss in a flash and the two animals set to work raking each other apart. Worthy pulled his younger brother behind him as Canshi lunged with a sword. Worthy tackled her to the ground, yelling. She tried to push Worthy off. Then her men came. They ran at her and pushed Worthy off. One of the men helped her up. She smiled, waiting till she knew Dawson was watching, then kissed him. Dawson cringed but didn't do anything else. Worthy was overrun. People surrounded him on all sides but Worthy was a better fighter thanks to Shane. Before too long he had two of the men pinned to the ground. However, he was unable to take the others without remobilizing the men he had already pinned down. He was outnumbered and outclawed. Rumfuss lay bleeding on the opposite side of the now trampled battlefield. Dawson was at his side. Canshi and the boy she'd kissed lay unconscious on the ground. Wow, thought Worthy. My little brother's a better fighter than he lets on. Then the other men charged Worthy all at once. Worthy screamed as a sword stabbed him in the shoulder. Before he blacked out he saw someone drop from the trees and land next to him. He saw them knock out each of the men in a few blows. Then he saw them come over to him and pick him up in their arms. He wanted to ask if they were Dawson but he didn't get the chance.