Chapter Two: An Urgent Message

Aastha was thinking hard about what the older tiger had said to her. Her father's last words...what did they mean?

"You can't kill one who is dead..." she muttered to herself again. "What did my father mean by it? Maybe...maybe he was on the verge of a breakthrough..." But at that instant her thoughts were interupted as a white torpedo hurled itself at her and pinned her to the ground. Looking up, Aastha found herself staring into a face bearing the widest tiger grin imaginable.

"G'mornin, princess!" the tiger said. "How ya been lately?" Aastha swiped the smug tiger away with her paw and got to her feet.

"Can't you stop being so childish, Aalok?" Aastha said, rolling her eyes.

"What, ain't I allowed to have a little fun?" he asked. He struck at a nearby tree and an apple fell down. He touched it with a paw and it became encased in bright blue ice. Then Aalok proceeded to roll the frozen fruit between his paws in a game. Then he rolled it overto Aastha, who just stared at it for a moment before sighing and smashing the ob
ject with one mighty slash.

"I've had enough of your games, Aalok." Aastha said, turning away. "I have more pressing things to worry about..."

"What's so important that you can't even play?" Aalok asked. But before Aastha could reply their was a squawk from high above them. Both white tigers looked up to see a magnificent bird circling overhead. The bird spotted them and landed right in front of them.

"Your majesty." he said, bowing to Aastha.

"Sarus." Aastha said, bowing in return.

"I have most horrifying news. Truly terrible news." he said, panic in his voice. "The Fire army are closer than we thought. They will be here in just three days. And that's not all. They..." Sarus gulped.

"What is it, Sarus?" Aalok asked. The crane looked up and the two white tigers could tell that what he was about to say would be truly awful.

"They've recruited Zendra." Sarus said, shakily. Aastha froze, her eyes wide. Zendra was a black tiger with the most powerful fire magic of all. And he was the tiger that had killed Aastha's father. She shook with fear and rage.

"That monstrous brute..." she hissed. A surge of cold wind whipped up and froze the surrounding area. Aalok dived under some bushes for cover and Sarus squawked and rose up into the air. The miniature storm raged on for a few moments more until Aastha regained her composure. The wind died down and Aalok came out of hiding. He shook the ice from his fur.

"This is terrible, for sure." he said. "Sarus, spread the word. Tell the others to prepare for battle." The crane nodded his brightly coloured head and flew towards the Ice camp, but Aastha stared into the distance. Aalok stood beside her.

"What'll we do?" he asked.

"I don't know." Aastha replied. "But we'll never find out unless we take action." She turned and gave a sorrowful look.

"Perhaps the only way is to go into Fire territory." Aalok gasped.

"But...that's practically suicide!" he cried. "How can you..." Aastha swiped at his face with a paw.

"Can you just THINK?! I don't care about the danger any more." she said. "And I need to speak to the elder about my thoughts." Aalok hesitated, then nodded. The two tigers ran back towards camp, their paws pounding on the icy ground.

Sorry this took so long! I hope you like it. Post your opinion!

I love it, but shouldn't at the beginning, the punctuation be like this:

Picture an Earth split into two, where war rages across the land, were peace once reined supreme but has now disappeared along with most life on the planet.

Chapter Three: A Dangerous Decision

"DALU!" Aastha cried. She skidded to a halt in front of the elder tiger, who appeared to be performing some sort of meditation. The white tiger opened his eyes and spoke.

"I have heard from Sarus, Aastha." Dalu said, solemnly. "I know about the Fire's advances. And about Zendra."

"I wasn't here to talk to you about that, Dalu!" Aastha said, slightly impatiently. "Listen, I have an idea. What you told me earlier, my father's last words..." Aalok finally caught up with Aastha. Aastha had run ahead when they'd rushed off to speak to Dalu, the Ice Elder and Leader of the clan. Panting, he collapsed by them.

"Gee, you're FAST..." was all he could manage to say. Dalu appeared to ignore him completely.

"Aastha, what is your idea?" Dalu asked, urgently. Aastha hesitated. It was risky and daring, not to mention incredibly dangerous, but what she was about to say had to be said, for the good of all Ice Tigers.

"I propose that a lone tiger should sneak into Fire territory. There lies the Lake of Serenity, as long as the fires have not found on it. I know that the secret of our victory lies there." Aastha stopped and waited for Dalu to tell her that it was too dangerous and that she should forget the idea. But, although he looked worried, he was clearly waiting for her to continue. So she did.

"On the way down here from the hill, it came to me in a vision. I envisioned that there, at the Lake of Serenity, I will find out what my fathers last words meant. And as you know, Dalu..." Aastha hushed her tone a little. "...I believe he was on to something..." Dalu seemed to consider her words. He gave a deep sigh.

"It almost pains me to say this, but I see your logic." he said. "It is incredibly dangerous, but to be honest, we're doomed anyway. Our numbers are far less than theirs. And now that they have Zendra on their side, well..." Dalu stopped, thinking.

"Come on, Dalu!" Aalok said, finally getting to his feet. "Keep going!"

"....alright. I've made a decision." Dalu said. "We'll go with your plan, Aastha. We'll send a tiger into Fire territory to find this Lake of Sincerity. But which one..." Aastha coughed and interrupted him.

"Actually, Dalu, I think I should go." she said, ignoring the shocked look she got from Aalok. "My visions will tell me where the lake is, and only I have these visions. And when I do go, Dalu, I wish to go alone. I cannot afford to waste time waiting for someone not as fast as me." Dalu thought for a moment.

"I shan't let you go with another tiger, but I'll ask Sarus to come with you. He will be able to help you spot the lake from the air and he won't hold you back." Dalu looked straight into the younger tigress's eyes. "You understand?"

"Alright, Dalu." she said, bowing her head. "Summon Sarus now. We shall leave immediately."

Chapter Four: The Journey Begins

Looking down upon the Ice Camp from a hill, Aastha began to have second thoughts. What if she was wrong? No, she couldn't be. She had to try. Taking one last look, she turned around and called up into the sky.

"Sarus! Sarus! Are you prepared?" she shouted into the clouds. There came an answering squawk and Sarus descended, landing before her.

"I am ready, Princess Aastha." he said. Aastha looked at him. Is it just me, she thought, or did a smile cross Sarus' face? Maybe not.

"Then let us depart. We need not waste time." she said, starting to walk. "I just hope we make it back in time..." Sarus walked along beside her on his long, spindly legs.

"I promise you, we will succeed in our mission." he assured her. "But no doubt there will be spies of the Fire Army scouting the area. We may have to fight."

"I know, I know. I will use my most powerful Ice Magic to ensure our victory." Aastha said, snarling a little. "Even if it means my death, but then at least I will have joined my father." Sarus seemed about to say something before Aastha screeched out in pain. She collapsed to the floor, groaning and breathing heavily. Sarus, confused, bent his neck down and looked at her.

"Aastha? Aastha! What is it? What's hurting you?" he cried, distraught. But Aastha couldn't hear him. She had her eyes squeezed shut. BUt a picture was forming in her mind. A vision...but unlike any others she had ever seen before. Usually they were brief and painless. But this one was much clearer and seemed to take a lot longer to form. When it did, Aastha found herself looking into the face of a black Tiger with eyes red as fire. It was Zendra, without doubt. It was the Tiger who'd killed......and suddenly the vision changed. Aastha suddenly found herself looking upon the face of an elderly Ice Tiger. He spoke her name, and Aastha instantly recognised the voice.

"AASTHA!!!" Sarus screeched. That snapped the young white Tigress out of her vision. She shakily got to her feet, lost for words.

"Aastha, what came over you?!" Sarus asked, his feathers ruffled. She looked him in the eyes.

"I saw..." she whispered. "I saw...my father..."

Sorry it's been so long, guys! I'll try to post stories more regularly from now on! :-)