Dash's meeting with Blahking provides a different view of Blahking's thought process.

While Catrina left, nearly devastated by his lack of trust in her, this puts into light something Blahking is also questioning- her infamous temper. After all, it struck during his meeting with her only moments earlier.

It's possible that he's also twisting his words due to Dash's well demonstrated loyalty towards her, and that his feelings haven't yet been clearly displayed. However, he seems to imply to Dash he's at least willing to trust her. It's a back and forth I enjoy very much reading, and I hope you do, as well.

It's a fanciful style (with me doing both Dash's role and Blahking's) that continues in the vein of the Dash/ Catrina meeting while also putting a whole new possible light on it. And it draws into question who trusts who and why, which I like.

There's ALSO a nice little surprise at the end to kick the story forward! Check out "Sebastian Dash's take on Blah's views," wouldya?!

New years. A time of beginnings, and renewed vigor. Promises to be kept, and challenges to be faced... it's a pretty universal thing from one world to the next... from one reality to the next..

For all the muscles, and heroics, and daring life and limb risking operations of justice, this applies to the broad-shouldered Sebastian Dash as well. As much as anyone, he'd had his share of bone headed mistakes and screwups.

When he could put his ego aside long enough, Dash could console himself with the fact screwups were, are, and most likely will always be natural. Failures balanced success, after all.

Another new year.. another set of opportunities.. and another year gone. Dash had mused over that all a while. The important thing is, things were looking better between Catrina and him all the time.

Things were, in general, looking better than ever. The new year brought challenges - and opportunities. The start of the year also brings reflection to many of us.. memories of the year prior.

Sebastian Dash starred at the Prince of KOKOL with a cold, hard rage. "What in the blazes of Hades did you say to my friend?!"

He emphasized the word friend with a tone that read like a warning of a threat. After all, he'd asked to see Catrina alone in his office not that long ago. The meeting didn't last terribly long, but when Catrina came out, she shoved by Dash and took off, looking as angry as Dash had seen anyone other than Raw Hide leave her in recent memory.

"Sit," The prince responded, wanting to diffuse the hostilities immediately.

"No," Dash replied, with a tone that should have brooked no argument.

"Sit," the prince repeated more forcefully, before quickly shifting gears. "Please?"

Dash resisted the notion at first, but quickly decided he wasn't looking for a confrontation. He simply wanted to know what had angered his friend.

"Thank you," Blahking said after Dash finally sat down. "I want to make this clear, I've nothing but the utmost respect for you, and the good you've done so many people in your lifetime. I'm also personally appreciative of the help you've rendered our clan during late last year."

It still felt so awkward for Dash to hear. After all, when he originally began helping the Prince, back in the situation with Degrassi Knoll, he wasn't a part of KOKOL. In fact, he wasn't even a part at the Kingdom then. He stayed down past the South of the Border. At some point, though, along with Catrina, he'd become integrated into the Kingdom of KOL.. Catrina, especially, seemed at home with most of their members..

MOST.. of their members..

"So talk," Dash finally said.

Blahking cut to the chase. "Do you really trust her?"

No hesitation on Dash's part. "With my life."

"Why?"

"I know her," Dash answered. "And there's also the little fact she's saved my life any number of times."

"So I heard," the Prince replied. "But do you trust her?"

Dash looked at him, puzzled at the strange question. "If I'd trust her with my life, the only life I'll likely ever have, I'd say that qualifies as pretty much the ultimate trust."

"I suppose so," the Prince reluctantly admitted.

"What, you don't trust her all of a sudden?"

"I'm not saying I don't," the Prince responded, a bit defensively at this point.

Dash pushed the issue. "You're not saying it, no, but you're obviously having your doubts."

"You're not?" Blahking inquired of the self proclaimed "Dashing Rogue." "After all, if her brother went with that monster, whom sired her a litter of kittens, who's to say she wouldn't go with? Surely, you couldn't dismiss that possibility off hand, Sebastian?"

In a dull flash of inspiration, Sebastian Dash could understand the cause of Catrina Whiteclaw's frustration with the prince. After all, it must have seemed very much as if the Prince had made up his mind about her, and her 'kind.' Maybe, Dash quietly reflected to himself, she'd decided Catrina to have already been judged guilty, which would mean the only reason the Prince would have brought her in was to goad her and force her into revealing her treacherous actions before they had a chance to surface during a critical moment.

Dash, however, realized the absurdity of both sides of that argument. His trust in Catrina was both unquestionable and proven.Beyond that, though, he knew the Prince. His attitude towards her might not have been what it seemed. Little was what it seemed with the prince. If he had seemed cold and direct on the surface towards Catrina, Dash knew the Prince well enough to know better.

"I dismiss the possibility," Dash responded without pause.

The Prince, as Dash understood, was simply.. blunt.

"But not without having given considerable thought on the subject," Dash continued, not a hair of a second later.

After all, he was used to holding the position of the second highest ranked in the clan. Not all that long ago, he outranked the current King, Mtiger, who was still the King's military advisor. He didn't have to be polite and docile unless he wanted to, most of the time. Blahking was used to simply being direct most of the time, Dash supposed, which was probably also a function of all the military meetings he'd been in during their wars, including the Pertene war, which required directly, cold, sometimes brutal honesty.

"I've known the girl for years now. In some ways, I know her better than anyone likely ever will. As I've said, we've had to put our lives in each other's hands more than a couple times, but as you've said, it goes deeper than that."

In truth? Dash suspected that his bluntless towards her could represent a hesitancy to believe in her. But it was possible it represented something else as well.

"I've told her about things that Sneaky Pete knows, I have trouble admitting to myself at nights. She's told me about her hardships as well. We've done more than fight together.. We've traveled together.. she's been the biggest part of my life since my breakup."

Maybe his bluntness simply represented.. respect.

Respect for Catrina, and her intellect..

Dash shifted, unconsciously, as he talked. Even though he kept the details shrouded in vagueness, it was clearly an uncomfortable subject. Yet, it was one he needed to cover in the 'here and now.' There would be no room for questions of trust in the dark storm which loomed over the proverbial horizons.

"She won't betray us. I'd put my life on that risk."

"You might very well be putting all our lives on that one," Blahking countered.

"She won't betray us," Dash insisted.

"Despite my earlier words, I believe you," Blahking finally admitted. "In fact, I was hoping to say the very same thing to her earlier. I believe she might have my .. directness.. wrong."

"Probably," Dash admitted. "She can have a hot temper, especially when someone questions her honor."

"Was I doing that?" Blahking winced. "I suppose I was.. I failed to consider things from her vantage point."

"I suppose so," Dash answered.

"She's very passionate."

"She is," Dash agreed.

"It's commendable, in a way."

"Again, I agree, but where are you going with this?"

"I'm just saying," the Prince said, finally standing up again, to allow him to pace thoughtfully, "her passion could undermine her decision making as much as any possible links to our enemies."

"Why do you think that?" Dash debated being defensive here, but he realized in the end, that would serve neither he nor the Prince, and it certainly wouldn't help Catrina's situation, if there was one.

The Prince organized his thoughts. "As much as anything, she often seems to be a creature ruled by both passion and intellect."

"Aren't we all?" Dash interrupted to ask.

"Don't play games, Sebastian," the Prince answered. "Yes, you have a point, of course. But Catrina, being as she is half feline, seems to exude the qualities we mere humans possess, perhalps, in more humble qualities. I suppose it's possible, even probable, that we can trust her. You know her better than I."

Blahking paused to allow Dash to give an indication of agreement. Dash merely nodded, though.

"I worry, though, she might be so obsessed with revenge, not to mention proving she's trusthworthy, that she may be ruled by passion, rather than intellect."

"If you're worried about her being too concerned with us trusting her," Dash spat out, "then maybe you shouldn't have gone out of your way to question her trust. It obviously didn't help."

"I suppose not," the Prince admitted. "Nevertheless, I could sense the seeds of doubt deep down within her. You'll need to keep an eye out on her, and the other eye on her. After all," Blahking concluded, "we might be able to trust her today, but we never know what tomorrow's dawn or dusk shall bring."

"Very poetic." Dash clearly wasn't impressed by the metaphor.

"Can I trust you do do this?"

Dash grumbled a bit, then answered. "Fine. I don't see the need to be suspicious of Catrina, but if it'll sooth your paranoia, I'll keep an eye on you."

"And report anything suspicious," the Prince tossed in.

"Naturally, but I. . . " Dash had started to say something, but stopped as a messenger entered the room.

"Sir, I'm sorry to interrupt," the messenger started. He was in shorts and a basketball shirt, and oversized boots. boots almost as big as his oversized hair. Odd. "But I am The Messenger, and I came here at my fastest rate to give you this message."

"So I see," The Prince answered dryly. "If you could just leave it. . ."

"No, no! You must read it now, for I am the messenger!"

"That's very nice, but I'm in the middle of a most important discussion with my associate here, so. . ."

"No, I AM the Messenger, and this is the message! But this message isn't your typical day to day daisy report nor your weekly weather report. No, this is a delicate conundrum of top secretive information, and a precarious balance of premeditated planning of a most interesting nature!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dash said, snatching the letter from his hand before he could raise protest. "But if it'll get you to shut up, I'm sure Blahking would gladly read it."

"Prince Blahking," he corrected, snatching the letter from Dash's hand in turn. The messenger watched, then, satisfied that his speedily delivered letter was being given proper attention, slipped out of the room, unnoticed.

"By the haikus of El Perezoso and Bjorn," Blahking exclaimed, using the most revenant of tones for the holy names.

"What?" Dash could tell this was serious. "What is it?"

"According to this report," Blahking said in an ominous tone, "The Knob Goblins just sent a small army to our outpost in the nearby plains.. it looks like we're going to have a serious fight on your hands." Blahking stood up. "They're going to need help."

"I'm on it," Dash replied, already on his feet, checking to ensure his trademark broadsword, Bad Beats, was where it should be, ready for action. . . . .

There's a little dry inspiration from Terry Goodkind there, most notably the 'my only life' line.. I hope KOL fans got a kick out of the Haiku line, too..