The second part of a matching set, "or How to Train a Cat," this's another very strong entry from Catrina! Whereas some of Catrina's stronger pieces so far have focused on her, this one focuses mainly on her training, and her new mentor - and a bit of his history.

That isn't to say Catrina isn't defined well here- she is, and you really get the sense she's being pushed to new limits with this training. If you're wondering how this roleplay can encompass so many days while the others seem to be taking place within hours or even minutes of each other, well...

That answer is coming in the last roleplay of the mission, but don't you dare skip over this one! It's a true gem.

Catrina woke the next morning feeling much better, the healing herbs having done their trick, mending her body as her rest had mended her mind and spirit. She rose, and looked around for her clothing, finding them on a chair nearby- along with a robe and sandals of similar makr to those Sliver wore. She smiled at them. “Well, kitten, you are a guest and he is not Dash.”

She donned her regular clothing, purring a bit as she felt the leather hug her curves. She then donned the warachi, tying the bindings as she remembered the monks in her area doing. Finally over all went the robe- lightweight, obviously home woven with a mind for function, not fashion.

She had to laugh, knowing that she now looked like any of the monks of her land, and also knowing she was nowhere near as devout as any of them, let alone the ones who took vows of celibacy. “Yeah… that’ll happen!”

She slid open the partition and stepped out, giving a soft purr at the warmth of the irori hearth. She smiled as she spotted Sliver, sitting at a low table and motioning for her to join him. He had made breakfast for them! Catrina hoped he took the growl of her stomach as just another purr!

She sat opposite him, looking at what he had fixed. There was a bowl of gohan, or steamed rice- as well as a hearty miso soup that she saw contained potatoes, carrots and other vegetables, along with tamagoyaki and fish enough to make it nourishing even for a predator’s picky needs!

They ate in silence, and to Catrina it was as if she had not eaten in days- making her wonder how long it had been, and worry about how her Dash was taking the absence. But Sliver had mentioned something about ‘training’ which told Catrina that it would be a while longer before she could be rejoining him, making her worry about him all the more.

As they finished their meal Sliver stood, and he and Catrina took cleared the table, placing the dishes in sink for later. “Com with me, you must work on your strength before you encounter them again.”

Catrina cocked her head on hearing this remark. “Encounter who?” she asked, even though she had an idea what his answer would be.

And it was. “The three who did this to you kitten. I see it in your eyes. They beat you, but they did not defeat you. When next you meet they will find that out. I hope to make sure that all goes as is best on that occasion.”

Catrina thought of something she had asked earlier, and asked it again. “Why?”

With that question Sliver paused in his tracks, and hung his head. “Because I trained them as well, to my shame.” He pressed on before Catrina could interrupt. "Not all of the Muri-dan are as evil as you have become accustomed to thinking, kitten. But our number is small, and our lives are often at the mercies of our more honorless compatriots." With this he gave a snort, and Catrina could understand what such 'mercies' got many of these honorable Muri-dan.

"I had been studying fighting styles for some time, and as time passed I began to teach many of the more honorable of my compatriots, allowing them to have a chance against what was arrayed against them. For this I expected nothing, but recieved much.

When Stewart, Jerome and Mortimer came to me I took them in, assuming they were as many others had been, and perhaps they were, then. But as they trained and grew stronger they seemed to change, although for a time I was blind to it." He smirked ruefully. "I discovered their change in time however, at the time they attacked me in the night, beating me and leaving my body, much as they had yours although they had judged me to be dead. I would have been too, had I not used the last of my chi to preserve the last bit of my life force."

Catrna had started to growl as she heard of Sliver's beating, but stopped as he said something that she had never heard before. "Chi? What is that?"

Sliver smiled at her. "You will learn much about your own chi when you are ready for the knowledge, kitten. For now, I will only say that just as the magician has his pool of Mana to draw from in battle, so the fighter has a similar pool, which I call Chi." He stopped walking. "We are here, kitten. Here is where you will begin your training."

Catrina looked, but all she could see was a large, fallow field and a plow and harness. There was no sign of a draft animal to pull the plow, how.... And then she grinned a bit, suddenly realizing who the draft animal was as Sliver put the harness around her. She saw that the plow was made such that it would bite into the ground of its own weight...and perhaps with the assistance of some magic, but quickly she was hitched up and ready to provide the pulling power. "I have tasks elsewhere, kitten. When I return we will have lunch, and then we will see. By the way- there are a few rocks in the soil- please pile any you find at that end of the field" He pointed to an area some distance away, and Catrina nodded as she began her work.

She pulled the plow along, grunting a little as she felt the weight and the resistance as it dug through the soil until CLANG she was brought up short as the plow came across one of the rocks Sliver had warned her about. She unhitched herself and proceeded to dig the rock out. It was not large and she carried it to the spot that he had pointed out, then stood there, panting. The exertions were making her hot under the robe- so she took it off, deciding to work in her leathers alone.

It went like that: plow, CLANG, dig, carry- for hours. Catrina could feel her muscles burning, telling her that she'd been neglecting them, and punishing her for it. Even in just her skimpy leather outfit she was panting from the exertion. She was beginning to feel like this task would never end, that Sliver had left her here in some strange version of the hell she was always warned away from as a kitten.

But then he was there. Catrina had not seen him approach, not caught his scent even though he was upwind of her. He was just suddenly...there, helping her out of her harness and telling her what good work she had done- although at first she could not understand why he would not look directly at her.

Catrina felt the blush from his ears, and sudenly realized what was wrong. She trotted over to where she had laid her robe, and quickly donned it.

They walked back to the house, and entered, leaving their warachi in the doma, then returned to their little table, where Catrina found waiting for her a bowl of gyudon, beef slices cooked in a sauce and served over rice, and a cup of green tea.

They ate in silence- well, what silence you get when you have a hungry kitty eagerly downing her lunch.

After they had cleared their dishes Sliver led her into another room, leaving the partition open so they could take advantage of th warmth of the irori hearth.in the center of the room he turned to her. "Now, kiten, show me what you know already. Attack me."

Catrina looked at him as if he'd just told her he had three heads. "What?"

Sliver was calm as he spoke. "Attack me. Try to defeat me. Try even to touch me- if you can." With that he took a ready stance,feet planted firmly, hands ready to defend- or attack.

Catrina smirked at this. She was bigger than he was. She was younger. She was, she thought, faster and stronger, too. She shrugged. "All right, but remember- you asked for it!" With that she pounced...

...thin air. He had moved out of the way so quickly that she had not been able adjust for it!

And so the fight went, with Catrina throwing punch after punch- swiping time and tiem again with her claws... yet having them all miss- or be blocked easily by Sliver. Who at the end, stood as he had started, feet firmly planted, hands ready to defend- or attack.

Catrina, on the other paw, was a mess. She stood as well, panting, eyes wide at Sliver's serene contenence. She would not have believed this is she had not been te one to have it happen to. "How...?"

Sliver relaxed, nodding. "Good, now true learning can begin. First of all, you have forgotten the tricks of your ancestors in battle. We will correct that." With that he began to critique Catrina's style of fighting, not entirely trashing it but tweaking it, modifying it slightly here and there to make it better. Any shock that Catrina felt was quickly swept away, replaced by a need- a need to learn everything this man...this Master, had to teach her.

Another several hours passed, filled with learning, drill, and gentle correction. Catrina felt that she was already imprlved over what had stepped into this room before. The day was rushing headlong to its close when Sliver stopped his lessons. "I must prepare dinner soon."

He took her outside, to a place where two buckets and an hourglass were placed. He gave her the buckets. "Follow the trail- it will bring you to a well. Fetch both buckets full of water and return here. Dinner will be ready when the sand runs through this hourglass. If you have not returned, all you will recieve is gohan and green tea." With that he turned the hourglass over, and Catrina watched the sand fall for a second before gathering the buckets and hurrying off.

The path was long, and laid out with a series of flat stones. It meandered a bit by design, designed to take a stroller from one point of serene beauty to another. Which was all well and good if you were a stroller looking for points of serene beauty, but for a kitten with water to gather, knowing that she'd miss dinner if she didn't get back on time? Catrina hurried on.

She found the well, and quickly had the buckets filled and ready to go. The trip back seemed faster, although Catrina did need to be more careful to avoid spillage. But even as she hurried, she knew time was slipping by much too fast, and sure enough when she reached the house the sands had run their course.

They ate in silence, and although Sliver's meal was a modest one compared to Catrina's it was much more satisfying. Once they had finished and cleared the table Sliver showed her to an off building from which steam boilied in small whisps. "It would be wise for you to bathe and relax before bedtime, kitten."

Catrina smiled as he was blushing again even as he said that, amused at how this man- fierce warrior, patient teacher, wise beyond his years- could be so upset by the mere thought of a naked female!

She entered the bath house, purring as the humid air did its best to seep into her day parched skin. She stripped completely, leaving all her clothes neatlly on a shelf provided and taking a small towel. She then left the small outer room and proceeded into the bath itself. She rinsed the worst of the dirt off of her body, then stepped into the tub, sinking down into th hot water with a sigh of relief, feeling the soreness already leaving her body. she soaked for a few long luxurious moment- then stepped out to lather up and wash her hair and fur (fur shampoo! YAY!).

She then rinsed the soap from her body, making sure to get it all before again descending into the tub for a truly relaxing soak. As she soaked she thought of her friends: of Feena, who she had left so abruptly, of Dash, who she was supposed to be meeting what, today? Yesterday? A week ago? Catrina had no way of being sure how long she had been recovering, so she let her guilt pass. Instead she thought of her bunny and her Dash all the time she was caressing herself. Just how Vivace had shown her..

Life became a repeat of the same thing for Catrina. Every day was the same: train, learn, run, bathe. It went on day after day, week after week until Catrina was sure that her friends must have moved on without her, and had probably taken care of the goblins as well. That was okay with her, she knew that that threat was great, and worry about her should not stop their quest to protect and defend the Kingdonm. It didn't hurt...really, it didn't.....

There were some moments of change during that time, however. One day, after learning much at the feet of Master Slivver, he told Catrina to sit. He smiled at her and told her: "Kitten, we have come far in your training, and you have done well. However, we have reached a point where training alone will no longer aid you. You remember our earlier discussions about Chi?"

Catrina looked at him, excitement growing in her breast. "Am I ready, Master?"

Sliver nodded. "Indeed, I believe so. Meditate with me."

As they began to meditate, Sliver guided Catrina, helping her turn her meditations inward, searchin within herself for what she desired to find. As she began to enter her trance, Catrina had a vision.

She opened her eyes, and saw that she was standing on a wide open savannah. She purred, and suddenly realized that here she was not entirely herself. She was in an ancestral form, a true Lioness! Herds of prey awaited her hunting, the males of her Pride awaited her company. Here...she was Queen!

She purred again. Tempting as the thought was, she knew that she had business here. Now, how does one go about finding Chi?

As if in response to this thought her throat suddenly went dry. Caatrina smirked, knowing now where she had to go. Her ancestral form took the lead, moving off across the savanna, heading for the local watering hole.

She laid at the edge and drank deeply, enjoying the cool freshness of the water on her hot dry throat. Something told her that she had found what she wanted, but from here she had no clue what to do. Was she simply supposed to wake from this, like any other dream?

She looked up, and saw nearby another lioness, this one as black as Catrina was white. Blacker still- it was almost s if the light fell into her body. Catrina felt her hackles raise and she gave a small growl. There was something about this bitch she did not like!

Hearing the growl the other loiness looked at her, with eyes like twin golden fires set in the pitch of a cloud filled, moonless night. Her eyes did not just look at Catrina, it was as if they were looking through her, into the very depths of her soul....

Catrina's body jumped as she bolted out of her trance, panting. Sliver was at her side almost instantly, showing concern. "Are you all right, Kitten?"

Catrina nodded, though she clung to him for a bit, shaken by her vision. She then told him what she had seen and done- everything, every bit... including the lioness she met at the watering hole.

"It is good that you do not like this... erm... bitch, as you call her." Sliver said, blushing at the word. "For she was a representation of the darkness within your soul. Now, if you are ready, it is time to start dinner...."

The next event in her training came some days later. Catrina had become fast at getting the water, but she had always seen the sand run out before she returned. Today as she came into view of the house she saw that there was still time- but just barely. Catrina began to doubt whether she'd make it today.

No! Catrina shouted at herself. There No freaking WAY I'm gonna lose this time! She hurried on, her eyes locked on the sand in the hourglass, trying to move just a bit faster, urging herself to beat the sands of time.

And then it happened. In the span of time between the last grain of sand falling and hitting the bottom Catrina... moved, finding herself n the porch, panting. Master Sliver was there, smiling as he took the water from her. "Well done, Kitten! Dinner is now ready!"

The dinner that night was lavish...and Catrina made a pig of herself.

The final event took place not long after this. Every day as part of her learning Catrina was made to try to hit Sliver, just as she had tried and failed on that first day. This day she was extremely fast, and Sliver found himself hard pressed until THWACK! Catrina landed a blow!

They looked at each other, a grin growing on Catrina's face that was swept away by Sliver's next words. "I have taken you as far as I can, Kitten. It is now time for you to return to those who need you."

Catrina nodded, and bowed to her Master. She then smirked at him. "In that case, I had best get in a bit more practice. Shall we?" Sliver matched her smirk- and the rest of the day was blissful bedlam!

The next morning, however, the mood was anything but blissful. Catrina stood in the yard, not wanting to leave. But Master Sliver was right. Even if the Gob threat was no more, there would be other threats- other reasons for Catrina to be needed back in the Kingdom. She nuzzled Sliver's cheek despite his blushing, vowing to return- although Sliver told her that when next they met she would be in great need.

Catrina started down the path he indicated, and soon the house was out of sight. She soon came to a trail she remembered- not too far from where she had met those other Muri-dan. As she started to trek towards the Weeping Tree, hoping to find news of th Kingdom there, she heard signs of a battle in progress.

Well, nothing to do but to look, right?