#sable nobu

[owlart18]

All the art I’ve done (that I could find) of one of my favourite ocs! Adara Pace!

(Commission info here | Pride icon commission info here)

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story part twenty nine

I had managed to get Laila to fall asleep by myself last night, no need to run to Kato again. I laid on my bed beside her, watching her sleep. The first rays of sunlight came through my windows making her hair glow in the pale light. She was just so cute, so perfect. I was interrupted from my thoughts as I heard a violent knocking on my front door. Who could that possibly be at this time? I wasn’t supposed to meet with Sable today and she didn’t knock anything like that anyways. I jumped out of bed and rushed over, hoping to answer it before the sound woke up Laila. I swung open the door and exclaimed,

“What?” I sucked in a breath as I saw who it was. Luna stood on my doorstep with her arms crossed angrily. 

“I know what you’ve been doing” she retorted. 

“How do you even know where I live?” I asked, ignoring her angry tone. 

“That hardly matters. You’ve been training Sable to be an assassin! How could you do that, she’s 15!” Luna barked out. I feel her fury radiating off her.

“Pfft and I was 8” I didn’t miss the shock in her eyes as her anger faded for a second, “anyways you can’t prove that” 

“Oh please, it’s obvious in the way she’s been fighting alone. Not to mention her sudden tiredness in the mornings and all the sneaking around! You had no right Adara, she’s my apprentice” 

“Oh please yourself. You think I recruited her? She came to me, practically begged me to teach her. It’s not my fault that she’s not satisfied with your methods” I hissed out. I gave up trying to keep my cool, it was impossible to stay calm around Luna. 

“You’re lying! Sable wants to be a knight, not a murderer! She is nothing like you!” Luna snarled, getting too close for comfort. 

“We’re both killers Luna, at least I’m honest about it! And keep your damn voice down” I said remembering Laila was still asleep. 

“What, am I embarrassing you? Good, you deserve far worse!”

“Mama?” a tiny voice squeaked out behind me and my heart skipped a beat. I turned around to see Laila clutching my old stuffed cat, a nervous look on her beautiful little face. I couldn’t believe the first words I would ever hear her utter was her worrying about her mom arguing with a stranger. Looking at her standing there, all my anger melted away. I gestured her over and lifted her off the ground. She dropped her toy as she clutched me tightly. She stared at Luna with wide grey eyes. 

“I’m sorry Laila, we didn’t mean to wake up. Everything’s fine, me and my… my friend were just talking” I told her gently. Calling Luna my friend made my stomach turn but I would’ve said anything in that moment to get that scared look off Laila’s face. To my surprise, Luna nodded and picked up the doll.

“Here” she said as she held it to Laila. She took it from Luna cautiously. Laila looked a bit less nervous but still shy. She held the stuffed cat close and buried her face in my neck. 

“I didn’t know you had a daughter” Luna said, an unreadable expression on her face.

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me” I stated. After a moment of awkward silence, I continued, “Look Luna, I’m not going to send Sable off to ki… to hurt anyone. I’m just teaching her what I know, and I was only going to send her some low-level missions, like messenger stuff. You’re right, she’s not like me and the last thing I’d want for her is for her to end up like me” 

“I suppose that’s fine then…” Luna responded, not meeting my gaze. “I have to get back to the castle”

I watched her walk down my steps and start down the path. I was about to go inside when she called out to me. 

“Adara. I’m sorry” she apologized quickly before continuing away. I froze on my doorstep, my face heating up in surprise. I stood there like an idiot watching Luna disappear into the woods until Laila started to shiver in my arms. I shook myself before bringing her inside to warm up. 

Now that Laila was up, I guess I had time to make her breakfast instead of leaving it to Kato and Hari. I poured her a small bowl of cereal and set it down on the coffee table. She was turning out to be a bit of a picky eater, not unlike myself. I sat on the floor next to her, making sure she ate enough. My ears pricked at the sound of voices outside. I sighed to myself, what was it now? I left Laila eating for a moment to go to the closest window. My neighbours were all grouped together, talking amongst themselves and casting suspicious looks forward. I couldn’t see what had gotten everyone up at this hour nor could I make out enough words to fill in the blanks. A thought dawned on me. What if Elda and her pack were back? I rushed to my front door, glancing at Laila on my way over to make sure she was still fine. I grabbed my cloak and slipped on my black boots before heading out into the chilly air. I forced myself through the crowd just in time to see a strangely familiar woman launch herself at Kato, who had just exited his house likely to see what the commotion was. My hand flew to my waist in search of my dagger. I cursed myself as I realized I had left it inside. But what I thought was an attack turned out to be a shockingly passionate kiss. I couldn’t stop my jaw from dropping. My surprise was nothing compared to Hari’s though, who was standing in Kato’s doorway just behind the two. Pain and jealousy waged war in his eyes and he grabbed the nearest wall tightly, as if to restrain himself from jumping forward. With Hari’s reaction, the last piece of the puzzle slide into place and I realized with a jolt who the Nekojin was that was still clinging to a very red-faced Kato. She finally pulled away, a smug grin on her face for flustering Kato. He managed to stutter out three words. 

“Lily, you’re back”

[owlart18]

Happy Bisexual Visibility Day!!! (yes i’m 27 mins late but too bad!)

A continuation of drawing my bi ocs from last year!

[owlart18]

Ocs, Adara and Sable

(read about them on my writing blog @thebluekingdomstory )

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story, part twenty two

My mind was swirling with thoughts after my first day at the castle. It was only just hitting me now that Aegean was the first person I had told about Laila. Hari also knew that I had been pregnant of course, but I hadn’t really told him and I certainly didn’t give him any details. Today was the first time I had said her name to anyone. It felt right somehow, that Aegean should know. He was one of the only people to have seen me and... to see us back then. The shook the thoughts from my head as I entered the village. A large snowy leopard bounded over to me, spaying snow in his wake. He transformed as he got close, brushing the snow from his pale hair. I suppressed a sigh, Noriko I believe his name was? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Kato let him join the Pinewood pack. He was to kind for his own good.

“Good evening, Adara” Noriko greeted me politely. I forced a small smile in response and kept walking towards my house. I flattened my ears in annoyance as I heard footsteps following me. I stopped just before my steps and turned.

“Is there a particular reason you are following me?”

“Perhaps I just wanted to chat. Would that be so wrong?”

“As much as I’d love to stay for... that, not everyone has the fur for this weather” I was itching to end this conversation as quickly as possible, outsiders bring nothing but trouble as far as I’m concerned and I’ve got plenty of that already.

“Oh, I suppose that makes sense, that young cheetah did not seem to mind though”

“Sable? Is she still here?” I had nearly forgotten about her request this morning to become my apprentice or whatever.

“I am not sure, we could look together, if you do not mind the company”

“Actually I do very much mind”

“You wound me Adara” he put his hand to his chest in mock pain. At least I thought he was just joking, but I swear I saw a flash of real hurt in his eyes, just for a moment.

“It’s been a long day, maybe another time” I back peddled a bit, I wasn’t about to apologize but it wouldn’t kill me to be a little nicer. A little. He smiled at that.

“I look forward to it”

I longed to forget about Sable and just curl up in bed, but if she really had stuck around all day in the freezing air then maybe she was serious about this whole apprenticeship thing. I at least owed her an answer.

I was about to give up my search scouring the village when I caught sight of a flash of bright red hair from a nearby window. My chest flooded with panic as I looked through that window, as close as I was willing to get. Which was not very close at all. The living room was candle lit just like it was that night. I watched Sable and Chi chat inside of that house. They must have invited her in to get her out of the cold for a bit. Because of course they did. As much as I wanted to give Sable an answer, I was unwilling to go anywhere near that door, let alone knock on it. Considering my options for a moment, I was hit with sudden inspiration. I crouched low to the ground and grabbed a couple handfuls of snow from the forest floor. I rolled it in my hand forming a ball, regretting not wearing gloves today. Satisfied with my work, I launched the snowball at the window. It splattered on impact, bits of white sticking to my target. Inside, Chi and Sables heads snapped up, looking for the source of the sound. I gave to two a small wave. A smile spread across Chi’s face as they saw me. Sable tried to smile as well but she didn’t quite manage it. Chi gestured with their hand for me to come inside. I shook my head stubbornly, leaving no room for argument. They visibly sighed before turning back to Sable. After a moment she nodded and headed to the door. I waited for her in the tree line. As she approached, I could feel waves of nervous energy coming off of her.

“Hey Adara” she said simply.

“Hey”

“So, did you think over what I asked you?”

“I did”

She waited patiently for me to continue. I looked away as I considered my answer. Is it a mistake to say yes? If I had had a choice all those years ago, would I have wanted to live this life? Would it be wrong to bring another young girl, practically a child, into my world? Even if I had no qualms in training her, would I even be able to? What do I know about teaching? But if I say no, will she just go to Hari instead, or worse, Hawkwood? Luna’s words flash into my mind, you’re on a dark path, Adara. What does she know anyways. We’re not all like my former master. These skills can be used for good too. I let my thoughts settle and took a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding.

“I’ll do it. I’ll train you to be an assassin”

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story, part twenty

I arrived at The Blue Castle as the sun had risen high in the sky. A bit later then I would have liked for my first day but it could’ve been worse considering the events of this morning. I ended up telling Sable that I needed some time to think over her request. I’m sure she would be bugging me about it again soon, but I could worry about that later. For now, I needed to find Prince Aegean and do whatever it was that I was supposed to. I nodded to the guards at the entrance before entering the towering stone gate.

 “Adara!”

I looked up to see Prince Aegean leaning out his window, waving at me. Hmph, didn’t take long to find him. I gave him a small wave back. He gestured to the courtyard and disappeared into his room.

___

I meet Aegean a few minutes later in the same courtyard where I competed to be his retainer. Walking behind him were two other people, my stomach clenched as I saw a flash of white hair. As they came closer I realized it wasn’t who I thought it was, but a Kitsune who I didn’t know. Not a knight, but a retainer, as was the man beside her, based on their matching blue tunics.  The man approached me first, holding out his hand in introduction,

 “You must be Adara, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Khalil Caldwell, I’m a retainer to Princess Cyan”

 He had an angular face and a warm smile surrounded my dark brown hair pulled back in a small ponytail. I shook his hand before turning to the woman.

 “Hey, I’m Jade. Retainer to Klenn” she winked as me as I took her hand.

 “Prince Klenn” Khalil corrected. Jade just shrugged and rolled her eyes in response. I bet her and Hari would get along, I thought to myself. Her straight white hair framed her pretty face and her hazel eyes had a sparkle of mischief. I’d have to watch out for this one.

“Anyways, Adara, if you’ll kindly follow Jade, she’ll take you to get your uniform. I’ll stay with Prince Aegean until you are dressed and ready” Khalil gestured to Jade who nodded before heading towards the northern entrance back into the castle. I followed her quickly.

 ___ 

I took in my surroundings as Jade led me down corridors. The castle was just as grand as I remembered. Embroidered tapestries, tall marble columns and elaborately painted ceilings. Mother would have loved to have seen those paintings. She would’ve appreciated them a lot more than I did. Jade’s voice brought me back to the present.

 “Right through here Adara” she pointed to a door on the right. We entered the room together. It was simple in comparison to the hallway we had just walked through, the floor was carpeted in a mossy green and the walls were lined with rows of plain bunks.

 “We got a bed ready for you in case you choose to stay here, and your uniform is right here” Jade continued, lifting a stack of clothes off the bed nearest to us.

 “Thank you” I responded quietly, unsure of what else to say.

 “I’ll leave you to it then, I should probably get back to Klenn, see you around Adara!” she called as she exited the room. Glad to be alone for a moment, I took a calming breath before unfolding the clothes. It was a simple tunic, the colour of the sky after rain and a black belt made of some sort of leather. I removed my cloak and laid it on my new bed. I pulled the tunic over my black shirt and pants and fastened the belt. I opened the door to leave and bumped right into someone on the other side. I assumed it was Jade after seeing a flash of white but my stomach sank when I looked into those wide orange eyes.

 “Oh, it’s you.” We said in unison. I could feel the tension in the air as we stared at each other in awkward silence. After what felt like an eternity, Luna cleared her throat.

 “I was just looking for one of Prince Klenn’s retainers”

 ‘Jade? You just missed her, she went that way’ is what I could have said, probably what I should have said. But no. I crossed my arms and leaned against the door frame.

 “So you’re not just here to check on me then? Make sure I’m not still on my dark path?” I taunted. Luna narrowed her eyes at that. She stepped forward and leaned down, our noses nearly touching. It took all my willpower not to step back or look away.

 “I do not know what Prince Aegean saw in you when he made his selection, I certainly don’t see it. But know this Adara, if you lay a single claw on that boy, I will relish cutting. you. down.” she whipped around before I could muster a response and stalked down the hall, her long white tail lashing behind her.

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story part fifteen

I abandoned my breakfast as I heard the clanging of swords outside. In the clearing was a decent crowd watching two figures sword fighting. My heart clenched as I recognized one of them. Her white hair shining like the snow that refused to melt. The last time I had seen Luna she had tried to save me from my dark path. I rolled my eyes at the memory. She was dueling a scrawny young Nekojin with ruby red hair tied up in a bun. They were both in guard attire. I found Hari at the edge of the crowd and asked him what was going on.

“Oh you’ll love this, they’re trying to recruit Nekojin to join the Blue Guard” he snickered.

 “Of course they are” I said under my breath. I narrowed my eyes and watched the fight finish up. I begrudgingly admitted that the kid had some talent, though I thought she moved more like an assassin than a knight. After the duel, Luna tried to pass out some flyers to the gathered crowd, but there were no takers. I crossed my arms as she and the young girl approached me and Hari, a forced smile on her face.

 “Long time no see” she said to me. I grunted in response. Turning to Hari she added, “Are you also one of Hawkwood’s students?”

 “That’s right, names Hari” he responded lazily and nudged me, “You know her Adara?”

 “Not really”

 “The Blue Kingdom would appreciate both your skills if you’re interested in a change of path” Luna interjected, her voice tight, as she held out a flyer to us.

 “Sorry, but guards aren’t paid nearly as well as assassins” Hari shrugged indifferently. I swear I saw the girls spotted ears prick up at that. Maybe not all guards are in it for the honor or whatever.

 “Well you know where to find us if you change your mind” Luna sighed.

 “I wouldn’t hold your breath” I muttered. She glared at me, a mix of anger and disappointment sparking in her orange eyes.

 “Come on Sable, let’s go” she ordered, breaking our staring contest. Good riddance, I grumbled to myself I was watched them leave.

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story, part fourty four

The sound of a horn pierced the air, followed by an unfamiliar battle cry. Soldiers dressed in orange and crimson flooded in from the south. It was the Desert Kingdom army; help had finally arrived! From the opposite direction, I heard a much more familiar yowl. Sable, and the reinforcements from the castle, charged towards us. Azure’s followers began to visibly panic, some even retreating at the sight of so many fresh soldiers. I dove back into battle, tackling a brown furred Wolfskin. I bit down on his foreleg hard. Blood filled my mouth. We may not have been outnumbered anymore, but this fight could still go either way. As I fought, I couldn’t help but keep an eye out for Luna. I still hadn’t seen her. 

A grief filled screech rung out from the center of the battle. My stomach turned as I realized I recognized the voice. It was Queen Celeste. I released my prey and rushed towards the sound. The fighting stopped abruptly. A tense silence spread over the crowd. I pushed my way through, dread rising in my chest. At its center, two bodies lay deathly still. I couldn’t help but stare along with everyone else. On the ground lay Lady Azure, and King Cobalt. 

I stumbled away. It was over. I couldn’t believe the King was gone. Who else hadn’t made it? I shifted out of panther form and took a head count. I spotted Noriko with Hari, injured but alive. I’d have to tell him about Noelle. But it could wait. Sable was at the edge of the crowd, I rushed over to her. I grabbed her by the shoulders. 

“Sable! Good job, you got here just in time” I told her. I was so proud of her. 

“Thanks, Adara” she purred. 

“Have you seen Luna?” I asked casually, trying not to seem nervous as I felt. 

“No, I thought she was with you” 

Then where was she? It took all my willpower power to avoid thinking the worst. I began to search the crowd, getting more frantic as the seconds ticked by. I tried to pick up her scent as I looked but the air was filled with too much blood. A familiar glint of silver armor caught my eye. It could have been anyone from the blue guard. But the uneasy feeling that swept over me told me otherwise. I approached the figure on the ground slowly. They were laying with the back to me, helmet still on. Blood everywhere. I held my breath as I got closer. I didn’t want this body to smell like Luna. I didn’t want it to smell like death. Then it would be real. I crouched down. Up close I could see a lock of white hair sticking out of the helmet. I grabbed her shoulder and eased her on to her back, into my lap. Luna groaned in pain at the movement. I let out a breath of relief, my eyes brimming with tears. She was alive! She opened her orange eyes to look up at me. 

“Adara” she croaked. I looked over her body, assessing the damage. Her chain mail was torn to shreds. A large slash covered the length of her upper chest. That must have been the source of all the blood. She must have seen the fear on my face as she reassured me, “it’s not as bad as it looks” 

My eyes went back to her face. I could see she was right. Her eyes were bright, and her skin wasn’t deathly pale, despite the blood loss.  She would recover from this. 

“When I couldn’t find you...” I could feel the tears start to fall. 

“Hey, hey. I’m alright, I promise” she soothed, cupping my face with her hand. I startled slightly at the contact. My eyes couldn’t help but be drawn to her lips. I really wanted to kiss her. I leaned down slowly, giving her time to push me away. Her eyes widened in surprise before gently shutting. She lifted her head to meet me halfway. I kissed her softly, her lips were warm on mine. I held her head, my fingers tangled in her long hair. I pulled away after a moment. Watching her face to gauge her reaction. Her cheeks were a pale pink. Her eyes sparkling in the morning light. When she smiled at me, my heart fluttered. Yeah, everything would be okay. 

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story, part fourty one

My nose filled with the scents of warm chocolate and mahogany. A familiar door chime rung in my ears. A soft cushion under my thighs. The taste of honey and cake on my tongue.

“So, what do you think?”

I opened my eyes, “You know… it’s actually really good”

“Yeah? It’s my first time making it, so I wasn’t sure” Jes’ soft grey eyes stared back at me.

“Oh come on, everything you make it great” I rolled my eyes teasingly.

“You say that, but you never got to try my early stuff! I’m telling, they were all just terrible! You’ll have to take some home to Laila, maybe she’ll like it too”

“Laila…” confusion flooded over me.

“You feeling alright Adara?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m good” I tried to shake the bad feeling that was slowly creeping in.

“I wish I could meet her, you’re doing such a wonderful job raising her, but you shouldn’t have to do it alone” Jes smiled sadly.

“I’m not alone, I have you” tears pricked at my eyes, but I didn’t know why. I didn’t want to know why.

“I’ll always be with you Adara… but you have to move on”

“No, no. What are you talking about? I can’t. I… I love you” I could feel my panic rising, I grabbed his hand tightly.

“Oh sweetheart, I love you too. But is that still true?”

“Of… of course it is. I think it is…”

“Good bye Adara” Jes leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes and leaned into him, tears streaming down my cheeks. My fear and confusion stilled at his touch. A sense of calm acceptance surrounded me. I opened my eyes.

My dark bedroom. Laila’s small weight on my chest. It was just a dream. Deep down, I knew the whole time, I just hadn’t wanted to believe it. But he was right. He was right about everything. Even though I was awake now, the calm I felt at the end of my dream stayed with me. I wrapped my arms around Laila’s sleeping form and closed my eyes.

“Good bye Jes” I whispered as I slipped back into sleep.

A loud knocking woke me. I opened my eyes and rubbed them blearily. The sun wasn’t even up yet. I stumbled out of bed and headed for the door. The knocking continued, growing more panicked. My stomach turned with dread. I pushed open the door to see Sable, her red hair a mess, out of its usual bun.

“Sable, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“It’s happening! Lady Azure is attacking today!” Sable screeched.

“Today!? There’s at least week until the end of summer!”

“She’s says she’s tired of waiting, she knows that with the Coldflame Kingdom backing her we don’t stand a chance” Sable shook her head violently. “Luna told me to come get you, we have to go, now!”

“Ok ok. I need you to go and wake Kato. Can you do that for me Sable?” I forced myself to stay calm and did my best to ignore the fear racing through me. Sable nodded quickly and ran down the path, slipping into her cheetah form as she did. While I waited, I changed out of my pajamas and woke Laila.

“Mama?” She yawned.

“Laila, mommy needs to go to the castle now. I’m sorry I woke you up, but I wanted to say goodbye” I told her gently, trying not to cry. What if I never came back? What I left Laila all alone again?

“Okay mama” she patted my cheek with a small hand. I caught her hand in mine and held it to my face. I slipped the bracelet Jes had made for me on to her wrist before releasing her. I was going to wait until she was older to give it to her, but now might be my last chance. I kissed her forehead and when I hugged her, I could feel my arms shaking. I closed my eyes and breathed in her scent, hoping it wouldn’t be for the last time. I laid her back down, she had already fallen back asleep in my arms. No. I will come back. I had too, Laila needed me. I heard footsteps as I left the room. Kato was in the living room. I opened my mouth to explain but he interrupted me.

“Sable told me” he grabbed my arm and pulled me into a tight hug. I stiffened in alarm; the only time Kato had hugged me before was when I came back to the pack after disappearing for 9 months. He must really be worried that I might not make it back. I relaxed into him as I wrapped my arms around him. “I’m sorry I can’t go with you”

“Just stay with Laila for me, okay?” I said into his shoulder.

“Of course, Adara. Of course”

“And take care of her if I… if I don’t make it back”

“Don’t say that. You’re going to be fine. Everything’s going to be fine” Kato pulled back, holding my arms roughly. His amber eyes glistened with tears.

“Is that an order, alpha?” I said lightly. I didn’t think I could handle seeing him cry right now.

“Yes, yes it is” he pulled me into one last hug before letting me go outside. The tension in the air pressed down on me, I strained my ears for sounds of battle but heard nothing, yet. I found Sable, but she wasn’t alone. Hari and Noriko waited with her.

“What are you guys doing up?” I asked, confused.

“You didn’t think I’d let you go alone, did you?” Hari shook his head in disbelief. “And miss a chance to fight Lily? Not a chance”

“As for me, my old pack is on the wrong side of this. I feel a responsibility to help take them down, whatever the cost” Noriko put it, nodding solemnly.

“If this is everyone, then let’s go!” Sable said, transforming mid-sentence. We followed suit as she raced through the trees. As we crashed through the woods, my heart clenched with sadness. Would this be the last time I ran in my beloved woods? The tall pines towering over us. A soft breeze shaking their needles. The familiar ground beneath the pounding of our feet. I shook the thoughts from my head. It would do no good thinking like that. I realized with confusion that Sable wasn’t leading us in the right direction. I put in a burst of speed to catch up to her.

“Sable, where are we going? The Kingdom’s that way” I said in between breaths, pointing to the left with my muzzle.

“We’re not going to the Kingdom, too crowded, too more potential for collateral damage” she huffed out.

“Then where are we going?”

“The southern farms”

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story, part fourty

“I can’t believe we have to walk them all the way to The Blue Kingdom…” the white wolf whined. I tried to ignore the wolves’ chatting and focused instead on picking my way through the woods. I hadn’t noticed on the journey in just how cluttered the forest floor was. I placed each paw carefully to avoid trotting on a thorn or a sharp stone. Noah and the white wolf lead the way, with the third wolf trailing at the rear.

“It won’t take long Robin, we can even race back home if you want” Noah told him, resting his rosy brown tail on the white wolf’s back.

“Really?! You never want to race” Robin exclaimed, practically jumping off his paws in excitement. Noah just shrugged in response.

“Not to interrupt, but we really can find our own way” Luna’s tail was twitching in annoyance.

“Orders are orders” Noah glared back at us.

“Sorry guys, if it were any other time, we would probably let you do just that. Everyone’s on edge with what happened the other day” Robin explained apologetically.

“What exactly did happen? That Chase guy made it sound like Sasha practically welcomed Azure in” I couldn’t help but ask. Sasha had been weirdly cagy about the whole thing.

“That’s not exactly how it went. Sasha was furious when she found Azure and her leopards trespassing. I wasn’t there at the time, but my sister was, and she told me that one of the Nekojin whispered something to Sasha and that was that. She let the three of them pass through to the mountains”

“Robin!” Noah growled.

“What! She asked, it would have been rude not to answer. What’s the harm in them knowing anyways?”

“That’s not the point”

I ignored the two wolves as the continued to argue in favor of considering this new bit of information. Did Azure offer some kind of deal? Or did she threaten Sasha with something? Considering how Sasha had reacted when we tried talking to her, we’d probably never find out the answer. Before I knew it, I could see the north wall looming ahead of us.

___

“Like this?” Aegean ask, trying out the stance I had just taught him.

“Pretty close, hold your left arm a little higher” I adjusted his arm carefully. “Why don’t you practice with Sable for a bit?”

“Okay! Thanks, Adara”

I nodded as he scampered off to join Sable. Luna and I had spent the last few hours working with the two of them, preparing for the coming fight.

“It was a good idea to teach him some defensive moves” Luna said.

“Yeah” I sighed. “I just hope he won’t need them” I wanted Aegean as far away for this whole mess as possible, but I knew how big a target he was, it would be stupid not to give him a way to protect himself if worse came to worse. “How long do you think we have?”

“Well Azure said we had until the end of the season, but if she gains support for the Coldflame Kingdom... I’d guess sooner rather than later” Luna said. I couldn’t help but agree.

“If she does, we’ll be massively outnumbered. You know that right?”

“Not necessarily. I’ve sent a patrol to the Desert Kingdom to see if they’ll join us. Even if they say no, at least we’ll have gotten to them before Azure”

“There’s just too many variables...” the way this fight was going to go was completely out of our hands, out of the whole Kingdom’s hands at this point. We were going to have to go in blind. As much as I hated that fact, I couldn’t let anything happen to the people I had come to care for.

“We’ll win. We’ll win because we have to” her eyes glowed with determination. I couldn’t share her confidence as much I wished I could. We watched Sable and Aegean practicing for a while. Well I tried to watch them. I couldn’t help but keep glancing at Luna. Her sun like eyes, her sharp jawline, her strong arms… I can’t believe it took me so long to see just how beautiful she really was. She twirled a strand of her pale hair around her finger, as though she was nervous about something. “If you don’t mind us changing the subject, I wanted to talk about earlier…”

“Hmm?” I asked, still distracted.

“A long story?” Luna prompted again, turning to look at me. With that I snapped out of my daze. I felt my face heat up. Right, how could I have forgotten?

“Ah, yes. Right” my mind went blank as I stared into her orange eyes.

“You don’t have to tell me, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable”

“No! It’s not that. Just, um, do you mind not looking at me while I do?”

“Er, okay?” she turned back towards the kids. She looked as though she was trying not to smile. I turned away too, looking at the ground. I took a minute to breath and count the blades of grass. When I felt a bit more relaxed, I told her. I told her everything.

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story part thirty six

I headed for the castle gates after saying goodnight to Aegean. I wanted nothing more than to get home and have some alone time after a long day.

“Adara, wait up” a voice called from behind me. I sighed as I stopped in my tracks.

“What?” I asked as Luna caught up to me.

“I’ve finished early today, I thought we could walk together”

“And why would we do that? You didn’t even live in the Pinewood pack” I asked in confusion. What was this all about?

“At least let me accompany you to the city limits” she insisted, not meeting me eyes.

“Is this because of what I said about being asked to kill Aegean? I thought I made myself clear that that is the last thing I want to do. If I wanted him dead, I wouldn’t have taken an arrow for him” I snapped.

“Adara, you misunderstand. I can see your loyalty as clear as day now. But I don’t doubt that there will be other attempts on the Prince’s life and your association with him puts you at risk as well” Luna explained quickly. My anger melted at her words. Luna was worried... about me?

“Oh” was all I could say, embarrassment flooding through me.

“So will you please allow me to walk you, at least part of the way?”

“Fine, if you think it’s necessary” I nodded.

“Thank you”

The town was dark and quiet as we headed out. I led Luna down my usual route, avoiding the bakery as always. I couldn’t think of anything to say to Luna, so I didn’t. She didn’t have the same problem.

“Do you have any plans for the rest of your night?” She asked me.

“Not really” after a moment I added, “what about you?”

“I’ll probably just turn in early. Would you like me to let Sable know your feeling better? She’s been missing training with you” she added.

“She has?”

“Of course” Luna nodded. “I know I wasn’t… supportive at first. But the skills you teach her can only help her on her journey to becoming a knight. Or whatever else she may want”

“That’s… good” I mumbled not sure what to say. I was strange having a conversation with Luna instead of a heated argument. It was almost pleasant. As we came to the kingdom gates, Luna nodded to the guards and continued on into the forest with me. I considered telling her I could go on from here alone, but I didn’t bother. I shifted forms to see better in the growing darkness. She followed suit and transformed into a massive white lion, pale as the rising moon. She really was a sight to behold, I couldn’t help but stare. I forced my eyes away as she calmly met my gaze. We padded silently through the woods, side by side. A gentle breeze stirred the trees around us. My ears pricked as an owl hooted quietly above us. We shifted forms as we arrived at the Pinewood pack and Luna walked me to my doorstep.

“I’ll see you tomorrow I guess” I said as I opened my door. Luna’s reply was interrupted by a chorus of voices from inside my house.

“Happy Birthday Adara!!!”

___

I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised that I had forgotten it was my birthday today. With everything else going on it was hardly important. At least it wasn’t to me, Hari on the other hand… I sat on my couch, with Laila on my lap, taking in the vibrant decorations in my kitchen and living room. Blue and silver streamers adorned my shelves and cupboards, a modest pile of gifts on a counter, smiling faces around me, music playing from my mother’s record player. At least Hari hadn’t invited the whole pack. Hari, Kato, Chi and Noriko sat around me chatting amicably. Kato had even invited Luna in before I could stop him. She sat beside me; I had never seen her look nervous before. I guess she wasn’t a fan of parties either.

“Luna, do you want to hold Laila for a bit?” I asked her before I could change my mind. Maybe having something to do would help her relax a bit.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Here” I said, handing Laila to her. Luna took her carefully into her arms.

“Hi Laila” she said quietly. Laila smiled up at her and patted her cheek.

“So, Luna, what’s it like working with Adara?”  Hari asked from my other side, putting his arm around my shoulders.

“Good, yeah it’s been good” Luna replied a bit distractedly. I followed her eyes to Hari’s arm around me.

“I’ve always found her a bit of a challenge personally” Hari whispered over me teasingly.

“Oh, I’m the difficult one?” I glared at him.

“And so easy to rile up, as I’m sure you’ve noticed” Hari laughed.

“I think that’s mostly your fault Hari” Chi pointed out.

“I don’t know what you’re implying, I’m perfectly pleasant to be around!”

“Right” Kato and I said at the same time.

“I think I’m going to need to be less than sober to take all this heat” Hari joked, standing up.

“Ugh, at least let me put Laila to bed first” I sighed. I took her from Luna and walked her over to my old bedroom. Kato followed me out.

“I did try to stop him from making such a fuss about your birthday, but you know how he is” Kato said, clearly talking about Hari.

“All too well. It’s alright, it’s not too terrible” I said as I tucked Laila into her little bed. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you Kato. I wanted to apologize for my reaction to the whole alpha thing. It was just a bit of a shock”

“It’s okay. You should know though, I’m not going to change you as my as my placeholder”

“I figured. I guess I’ll just have to keep you alive, at least until you choose a proper heir. Then all bets are off” I teased.

“I appreciate that” Kato smiled.

After making sure Laila was okay alone and saying goodnight to her, Kato and I headed back to the party. Hari had gotten everyone drinks, including ones waiting for us. I sat back down in my spot and listened to the current conversation. It sounded like Hari was asking everyone about past relationships, because of course he was.

“Rosa was… breathtaking. Beautiful, smart, kind. She was part of the reason why I left the mountains. It was just too hard to be there without her” Noriko was saying.

“That’s rough Noriko” Hari said, before turning to Luna. “What about you Luna? A beautiful woman like you must have plenty of suitors”

“I don’t really have time for such things”

“Oh come on, everyone needs that special someone” Hari pressed.

“Well what about you then?” Luna countered.

“Oh Luna, I’m honored by your interest in me but I’m afraid you’re not my type” 

“That is absolutely not what I meant” Luna tensed.

“It’s best just to ignore him” I whispered to her. I took a small sip of my drink. I usually would have refused but hey, it was my birthday.

“Hey you know, Adara is single” Hari mentioned. I coughed, choking on my drink.  

“Hari!” I managed to wheeze out.

“Sorry I couldn’t help myself” Hari laughed.

“She is?” Luna exclaimed quietly.

“She might as well not be, everyone always thinks her and Hari are together” Chi commented. I didn’t miss the way Kato stared at the ground and his grip tightened on his glass.

“I am right here” I stated, my face heating up in embarrassment.

“Gifts, we should do gifts” Kato said, changing the subject. While I was glad for a change of topic, the spotlight would still be on me. This is exactly why I dislike birthdays, I sighed to myself.

“You guys really didn’t have to get me anything…” I started only to be interrupted by Hari.

“Don’t be silly, it’s your birthday”

For the next while everyone took turns passing me their gifts and I tried my best to react well to opening each one. Kato had gotten me some adorable clothes for Laila, Chi a new coffee mug covered in abstract blue forms, Noriko some warm wooly socks, and finally Hari gave me a new record for my music player. I let everyone stay for a little while longer after that but kicked them out shortly after midnight. I told them it was no longer my birthday and that I was tired. After saying goodbye to everyone I went to Laila’s room and curled up next to her small warm body, not bothering to change out of my clothes. As much as I didn’t really want it, I was grateful that Hari had put together a night just for me. I wasn’t sure why, but that had probably been my best birthday since my parents had died.

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story part twenty seven

I left Laila with Hari for a little while longer so I could accompany Kato to the border. Chi led us through the forest in their lion form, Kato and I transformed as well to be as quick as possible. The green and white forest blurred around me as we ran. My ears pricked as I heard someone pursuing us. I whipped back my head to see Noriko running after us.

“Noriko, what are you doing here?” I called back to him.

“I heard about the intruders, I want to help” he responded, catching up to me. It was too late to argue, we were already nearing the border. We slowed as we reached it. I sighted the rest of Chi’s patrol first, waiting for us, and then across the border stood three unfamiliar Nekojin. They were all in human form, as if to see seem less threatening. They were definitely from the mountains, all dressed in heavy winter cloaks lined with dark brown fur. Kato and the others shifted out of cat form and I reluctantly followed suit. One of the intruders stepped forward but stopped as I growled in warning. She had medium length brown hair and almond shaped violet eyes. Her stance exuded confidence and she kept a hand resting casually on the sword on her side.

“Which one of you is the alpha of this pack?” She demanded.

“That would be me” Kato stepped forward. The woman nodded respectfully to him.

“My name is Elda Mir, I’m the alpha of the Coldpeak pack to the north”

“Mir?” Kato echoed quickly. I recognized the name too, but I couldn’t place it.

“I’m Kato Larsen. What can we do for you?” Kato asked, louder this time.

“Let’s get right to it then, I have a proposition for you and your pack. Due to some… recent events, my pack is in need of some new blood. I’d like to offer you the chance to join your pack with mine”

“Recent events” Noriko scoffed beside me.

“Noriko?” Elda exclaimed in surprise, “so this is where you ran off to”

“You know her?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. I was apart of the Coldpeak pack”

“Unfortunately? That is no way to speak of your home” Elda chided.

“Former home” Noriko muttered.

“Back to the matter at hand, Kato. I urge you to consider my offer. Nekojin are perfectly fitted to life in the mountains” Elda continued.

“You want us to go back to the mountains with you? I’m sorry Elda but I can’t agree to that” Kato apologized.

“Think about it, our territory is vast, and the hunting is always good. Our prey isn’t so easily scared by the cold. You wouldn’t have to worry about your restricting borders or dealing with a kingdom of humans” Elda urged. I felt panic rising in my chest. Kato wouldn’t actually consider this, would he?

“I empathize with your situation, but I can’t ask my pack to abandon their home”

“Very well. We’ll go. Noriko, come back home with us. Noelle misses you greatly”

“I can’t. You know I can’t. Just tell her I miss her, please” Noriko couldn’t meet his former alpha’s eyes. The disappointment was clear on her face, but she nodded to him. My body finally relaxed as three turned and headed north. Even though they were leaving, I had a feeling this wouldn’t be the last we heard from the Coldpeak pack.

___

It had been a few days since the confrontation at the border. I was watching Sable practice her knife throwing. We hadn’t been able to train that morning, so we were met in the evening today.

“May I join you?” A voice sounded from behind him. I turned to see Noriko standing there. I gestured him over.

“Did Elda really think Kato would join packs with her?” I asked, making an attempt at conversation.

“She speaks!” Noriko teased. “And Elda has a way of getting what she wants, one way or another” he continued darkly.

“That’s not ominous or anything. So why did you leave?”

“Trust me, you would’ve too”

I gave him a dissatisfied look.

“Look, Elda’s a great alpha, in theory. Determined, courageous, even compassionate when she wants to be. But I’m much happier following someone like Kato. Someone who wants what’s best for his pack and puts them above his own ambitions. Not to say Elda didn’t have our best interests at heart, she can just take her… beliefs a bit far” he explained. I nodded slowly. I could understand that, as far I was concerned, Kato was a great alpha and I wouldn’t trade him for the world. There were clearly some details Noriko was omitting as to why he left his home, but I couldn’t really blame him, I hadn’t exactly been the most welcoming. We watched in silence for a moment. Listening the sound of the blades hitting the tree and Sable grunting in concentration. A warm breeze blew by us and I couldn’t help but smile. Maybe spring was finally around the corner. Noriko on the other hand, didn’t look so pleased.

“Not a fan of the warmer weather?” I asked, pointing to his frown.

“Just not used to it I suppose, winter here is already so much warmer than in the mountains. I cannot imagine what it’ll be like in spring. What about you?”

“I like the spring, not to warm not to cold” I shrugged.

“No no no, it’s all about summer!” Sable cut in, throwing her last knife, “every other season here is way to cold”  

“Here? Are you not from the Pinewood pack?” Noriko asked.

“Nu uh. I was born in the desert, where it’s a much more reasonable temperature. My sister and I have only lived in the Blue Kingdom for a couple years now”

My eyebrows went up in surprise. I hadn’t known that. I mean I knew Sable wasn’t from this pack, but I guess I had assumed she had been born in the Kingdom.

“What brought you and your sister here?” Noriko asked before I could stop him. The news of desert massacres clearly hadn’t reached that far north. The desert used to be home to three packs much like around the Blue Kingdom. A pack of Kitsune, Bounders and of course Nekojin. In the past couple of years, all three had been destroyed by an unknown force.

“Sable, we should finish up training” I broke in to save her from answering what I assumed was a sensitive topic. Judging by the thankful look on her face I had come to the right conclusion. I gave Noriko a look to urge him not to push it, I could explain later.

[thebluekingdomstory]

Adara’s story, part twenty three

I waited on my front steps for Sable the very next morning. I told her that I would train her at dawn and then we could go to the castle together, me for Aegean and her for even more training with Luna. I hope this kid has stamina, it’s going to be hard work to juggle assassin and guard training. Sable’s approach interrupted my thoughts. I nodded at her good morning, before leading her to my backyard. Earlier that morning I had set up some targets on the nearby trees. I knew Sable was already pretty capable with a sword, so I thought it would be best to start with some long-distance weapons. I pointed Sable to the weapons rack near the targets. She stood thinking for a second before making a selection.

“Throwing knives? Good choice” I commented.

“It’s the closest to a sword I guess” she smiled. I gestured for her to stand next to me, facing the targets. I showed her the proper stance and the correct way to hold the knives, adjusting her when needed. I was impressed, she picked up the technique quickly. I launched one of the knives at a target, hitting it with ease.

“Wow! You’re really good!” Sable exclaimed.

“Er thanks, now you give it a try”

Sable got into position and readied her knife. She flung it forward with a grunt of effort. The knife missed the target but hit the tree, a bit low and it bounced out instead of sticking but overall not bad for a first try.

“Here, try again, don’t forget to keep your wrist straight when you let go or else the knife will hit the target at the wrong angle and try aiming a little higher” I said as I handed her another knife.

“Right!” she said to me before continuing under her breath, “You got this Sable!”

I couldn’t help but smile at her focused determination. She hurled the second knife and it just barely hit the edge of the target, but it stuck this time.

“That’s more like it!”

“Much better” I nodded approvingly.

I had her keep practicing until it was time to head to the kingdom. She was progressing well, she even managed to hit near the center of the target a couple of times. The brisk winter winds weren’t so bad under the trees, but I was dreading the openness of the kingdom. We walked most of the way in silence. I could tell she wanted to talk but was holding back for some reason. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye to find her staring at me.

“What?” I asked finally.

“What?” she echoed.

“You’re staring”

“Oh. Hmm it’s just, you haven’t asked why I want you to teach me”

“Do you want me to ask?”

“No!” she burst out. I gave her a small shrug in response.

“You’re weird Adara”

“I get that a lot”

“In a good way I mean!”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so I didn’t. We were at the castle before I knew it and the two of us headed out separate ways, me towards the Prince’s quarters and her to the knight’s yard to train with Luna. My stomach turned just saying her name in my head. Hopefully she’d be too busy with Sable to run into me today. I made a pit stop at the retainer’s room to get changed into my uniform. As I entered the room, a familiar voice called out my name.

“Adara?!”

She was sitting on one of the beds, wearing a blue uniform just like the one I was about to put on. Her hair was shorter than it was back then, but still flowed like caramel over her shoulders. Her piercing yellow eyes stared at me in confusion.

“Lark”

“I can’t believe my eyes, what are you doing here?” she came over to me and to my surprise, pulled me into a hug.

“I’m Prince Aegean’s retainer” I told her as she released me, still holding on to my arms.

“Really? I had heard that he had chosen someone, but I had no idea it was you. Anyways, how have you been?” her voice softened at the question.

“Oh… you know”

She gave me a sympathetic smile. I had to look away as my eyes began to prick.

“I’m really sorry about Jes”

“Who’s Jes?” a new voice intruded into the conversation. My heart stopped as I recognized it to be Luna’s. I quickly pulled away from Lark and wiped my face to get rid of any stray tears.

“Oh hey Luna, Jes was just…”

“Just none of your business” I snapped at Luna, turning to glare at her. The last thing I wanted was Luna’s pity. An icy silence spread over the room for a moment.

“I didn’t realize you two knew each other” Luna said, ignoring my outburst.  

“Oh yeah, me and Adara go way back” Lark responded, grabbing my shoulders. I extracted myself from her arm and busied myself with changing while to two chatted. As I walked back over, I felt a little calmer, as calm as I could in Luna’s presence.  I swear I saw a faint dusting of pink across her cheeks, but it was gone before I could be sure. Maybe she had a thing for Lark. That kind of pissed me off for some reason.

“Funny thing Prince Aegean getting a retainer already” Lark commented.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“It’s quite unusual for a member of the Royal Family to need a retainer before they come of age” Luna cut in.

“I thought it was because he’s the heir now?” That’s what Khalil told me at least.

“That might be part of the reason sure. But come on Adara, don’t you think it’s a bit strange? From what I hear, there’s unrest in the Kingdom. Enough to cause some serious problems in the wrong hands. Or the right hands, depending who you ask. No wonder the King and Queen are nervous with only one heir.” Lark whispered conspiratorially. And no wonder King Cobalt was willing to pretend he was Aegean’s father.

“Everyone is just exaggerating. A couple of ambitious Blue Nobles is all it is, nothing will come of it” Luna cleared her throat.

“Is that so? And what about the attacks at the north wall?”

Now this conversation was getting interesting. Unfortunately, Luna shut it down all too quickly.

“An unrelated incident. Some rogue wolfskins, The Blue Guard has dealt with it”

“But what about…” Lark tried again.

“Enough, we all have better things to do with our time than to stand around and gossip. Now if you’ll excuse me” and at that Luna took her leave.

“Hmph, unrelated my ass. I’m telling you Adara, everyone at the Blue Castle would do well to watch their backs”

It had been nice to see Lark again, I thought to myself as I headed up to Aegean’s room. Less nice to see Luna, but it couldn’t be helped. I climbed up the tall winding staircase. Unrest in the Kingdom huh. Was it just Lark taking some rumors too seriously, or was there really something to it? My thoughts stopped in their tracks as I swung open Aegean’s door.

Empty.

It was empty.

Why was it empty?

[thebluekingdomstory]

Sable Nobu (she/her)

Traits: Enthusiastic dreamer

Birthday: 985

Race: Nekojin (cheetah)

Family: Sister- Dune Nobu

Occupation: Luna’s apprentice