I couldn't believe it, I was looking at Thirds actual face. Or at least what I could see through my tears.
It was all a blur for a minute or two, when I finally stopped crying enough to get a clear, good look at him I was completely taken with him...
Again.
He had beautiful brunette hair that was tinted red in the sunlight, it was hanging so that one eye was almost covered. And he had the biggest blue eyes that I've seen in my life, clear blue, and there was a kindness in them. There were freckles sprinkled across his nose, and cheeks. He had pale skin, except for the blush that was still on his cheeks from our kiss only moments ago.
We were sitting on the ground, and leaning up against a huge tree. Third was holding me close to him, all I could do was stare for a couple minutes. Not seeing or hearing anything else.
"I... I can't believe that you actually..." I started but Third cut me off.
"I had to," he said gently brushing away a stray strand of hair that fell across my eyes. "If anything happened to either one of us before I had the chance to show you what I look like... I'd never forgive myself." He pecked me on the lips and smiled. It was the first time I'd ever seen his smile. It was wonderful. I had already memorized what he looked like...
"You, Cati, are my world. And the only person right now that I'm going to allow to see my face."
"Just me?" I stuttered. "What about Lith...? And why have you been so secretive about your identity all these years? I don't see anything wrong with you..."
"I... I didn't make good choices in the past, and if certain people saw my face... they'd probably take me away... forever."
"Wha-?" I started but he cut me off, I knew that was all I was going to get from him for now.
"And I'll let Lith see me when the time is right, which isn't now. She's already gone trough so much, she doesn't need to know that she's traveling with someone who..."
Twang!
Something went though me. My Lith senses were tingling...
"...So that's why can't let her see my face." Third finished.
"Huh? I'm sorry Third," I said running my hand through his hair, "I totally missed that." He kissed my hand as is came down around his cheek, he had this 'look' on his face, I liked it, it made me feel... Special.
Then he pulled me in for another kiss, but I pushed away after a second or two.
"I think Lith's in trouble..." I said, my face two inches from Thirds.
Half of me knew that she was in trouble and that I needed to get up NOW and go help her, but the other half of me wanted to stay here with Third, and convince myself that nothing was wrong.
"What? That connection that you two have is coming through?" Third asked, a somewhat confused look on his face, "Right now?"
"Yeah, I'm almost positive." I sighed.
What next? And why did it have to happen now? I thought.
"Alright." Third said getting up. Then taking my hand to help me up, "Lets go."
And, POOF!
He was gone, all I could see of him is what I lacked to see of him before. Everything.
"Well," he said and I could feel his arm wrap around my waist, and I was being gently lifted off the ground. "Lets go and save the day again shall we?"
I smiled a sad, tired, smile.
Darvire and Lith weren't too far behind us, so it didn't take us too long to find them.
We flew low for about a mile and a half, then came across a scene that I wasn't hoping to see.
The Cats were there. All five of them.
Darvire was pinned to the ground, Winda, the leader, on top of him, ready to kill.
Lith couldn't get to Darvire, two of the male cats were in her way...
Something was wrong with her, her eyes were...
Glowing? When she moved, streaks of what looked like green lightning streaked out of the corners of her eyes.
"Third," I breathed, "Go help Lith, I'll do the rest."
"On it." Third said quietly.
I circled around in the forest, trying to get a batter position to attack Winda poised on Darvire's chest.
Got it.
I silently flew from the cover of the forest, I had at least one second before Winda saw me.
She screeched and pushed all her weight off of Darvire, leaping up in the air, and coming straight at me.
SMACK!
We hit the ground rolling. Darvire punched one of the Cats in the stomach, and kicked the other in the head to make a quick escape into the shadows.
Winda, still making unearthly cat-like noises, was clawing at every part of my body. She managed to make a huge gash right next to my rib cage.
I screamed in pain kicked her off of me, then grabbed a fist full of the hair on her head, and smashed it hard against a tree.
She bent over in dizzying pain, I kicked her hard in the back, knocking her to the ground.
She spun around quickly and swiped one long leg under mine and knocked me to the ground. She then did a nimble jump onto my body, pinning me down then. Her back feet resting painfully on my knees, one un-normal hand grasping my arms above my head.
Gosh, she was good at that.
"None of you ever learn, do you?" She said smugly. "Your such an easy opponent aren't you little Cati? Always controlled by anger."
I tried pushing her off me, but she had a good hold.
"I would think that you'd be the angry one," I said calmly, trying to get as much air as I could in me, "You're the one who's a freakish mutation that doesn't deserve to live on this planet. You, and your so-called 'family' are an abomination. I will be glad when one day your altered DNA get the better of you... and well, you know what happens then." I glared at her and spat the last words out with such venom I almost saw her wince.
But instead she hissed in my face. Her eyes going almost all black and her face stretching back to reveal every cat-like tooth in her head.
She raised her paw in the air, her razor-like claws gleaming in morning sun...
I knew then that I was going to die.
At least I went down fighting.
I laughed softly, and closed my eyes, awaiting my death to befall me.
At least I had seen Thirds face...
The weight on my chest was suddenly gone.
Why wasn't I... you know... dead?
I sat up and looked around. Behind me I saw Thirds sword swinging around in the air, going back and forth savagely. Darvire was standing right beside Third (from what I could tell) in a fierce battle position. The four male cats were in a... line? Jeez, what was this? The freaking military? How did he... ?
To my left Lith, eyes glowing bright green, had Winda pinned against a tree. The cat's eyes were filled to the brim with fear. Lith was saying something to her that I couldn't hear.
I realized then what all the males were staring at.
Lith.
They were... scared of her. Really freaking scared...
What did she do?
What was she doing?
Suddenly Lith dropped Winda to the ground, leaving a her catty imprint in the bark of the tree. The cat got up quickly and signaled her clan with a low growl. A look of defeat on her face, mixed with fear. She kept glancing back at Lith...
Winda and her clan lumbered off on all fours into the forest. Gone.
I heard a muffled charades of footsteps behind me.
"Cati!" It was Third. "Are you okay? I thought you were going to die!" He picked me up and hugged me against his invisible body. His hand stroking my hair.
"I'm fine," I said into his chest. He was holding my head there. "And I'm not going to die any time soon." I smiled weakly pushing away. My injury made itself known to me once again.
I winced, and put my hand onto where Winda had swiped me.
Blood.
Great.
I felt Thirds hand take mine and bring it downwards, then felt his fingers going over the wound.
"You said that you were fine..." Third said, almost to himself.
Darvire was standing in front of me. His eyes said he was confused with the slant of his eyebrows.
"You... you would have died for me..." He said quietly, slightly cynical. "Why?"
"Well, I couldn't just let you die. You mean a lot to Lith... and-"
"CATI!" Lith said running to me. Her eyes were back to plain ol' green.
She grabbed me into a HUGE hug. She was talking way too fast, all I heard was "You" And "Some animal".
"Wait," I said pushing away from her, not liking all the attention on me. "Would you mind explaining what happened when you know... your eyes were... oh, I don't know... GLOWING??? And how did you get Winda and her clan to leave??"
She took a step back, her body was fully healed. She moved easily, I could see that. Her leg didn't trouble her, and she didn't have any trouble hugging me to death with her arm.
"I don't know what happened." She said honestly. Then went on describing what she felt before it happened. "Like some animal was... inside of me... and all of a sudden... it came out... I don't know how else I can describe it..." She sighed and rubbed her eyes.
"And that's when I saw you then sped over there, Winda about to kill you. I think I just suddenly jolted over there, snagged her by the neck, and pinned her against that tree and... talked to her."
"What did you say?" Darvire asked, holding a ripped piece of his shirt against a wound.
Lith's face went blank...
"I don't know. I can't remember... But whatever I said it worked."
"Obviously." I said.
"Well," Third said, "We need to get out of here, find a place to treat our wounds and sleep a little."
Darvire shook his head, "Were nearly there." He said painfully, "Just another 10 miles or so. My people have healers, one of which is waiting there for us. We're better off if we just do our best to get there as quickly as possible."
"Okay," Third said, picking me up.
"What are you??" I started.
"I'm helping you."He said simply.
"Its just a little scratch..." I protested, trying to break free.
"Fine." I said stubbornly.
"On we go then." Lith said.
Darvire blinked, then slowly led the way onward.
All I was hoping for now was that we'd actually get to this 'meeting point' without something else horribly tragic happening.
Like that was going to happen.
