Winded Sails - Chapter 1
Kali sat in the crow's nest, her back against the mainmast and her light gray tail loosely draped across her lap. She watched the desert's golden hills that rolled by. Her eyes traced along each one, meticulously combing the landscape despite the...
Winded Sails - Chapter 12
Kali watched the prince and his entourage depart, clustered together with fluttering laughs and mewls. Tasean's voice rose over the others and echoed down the hallway. Usually, when he left, she felt more at ease. This time, however, agitation tweaked...
Winded Sails - Chapter 11
The prince's silver pelt and black spots, an almost exact replica of the empress, were easy enough to see. As were the gem-studded jewelry and the loose, rich red silks he wore–palace silks, the sort cats only wore on Dockside, with short sleeves and...
Winded Sails - Chapter 2
The desert skies were bright and clear again, even as the sun started its swift descent past the golden horizon. Stars appeared one by one overhead, glimmering faintly as the last rays clawed back the night's veil. However, this wasn't the end of...
Winded Sails - Chapter 5
Four days of cracking crabs. Four full days, from dawn to dusk, with little reprieve at nightfall. The moment dinner was over, a pile of plates replaced shellfish. Kali washed all the plates, bowls, and spoons afterwards. Each night, when she finally...
Winded Sails - Chapter 3
Days passed quickly while serving as a ship's apprentice. Starlit nights went by even faster, with the flurry of activity on deck. Half of which was missed, as the apprentices slept before the morning shift. This was how The Sandstalker operated from...
Winded Sails - Chapter 4
For a fleeting, drowsy moment, Kali was content. Curled against Rinzaan, his arms wrapped around her, and his chin tucked into the nook between her neck and shoulder, she could've stayed there all day. His slow, steady breaths wafted through her short...
Winded Sails - Chapter 9
Despite clutching her sore stomach the entire time, and every step sending a reminding ache through her pelt, Kali didn’t stop running. She pressed on, even after Mikora’s furious shouting and growling vanished among the remaining din of the Benz...
The Switchback Canyon Race
The biggest legends have the smallest starts. That's what Maeve told herself, again and again, when she signed up for the 205th Annual Switchback Canyon Race. It was just a small time local competition. Nothing newsworthy. A short race through...
Winded Sails - Chapter 7
Together, hand in hand, they left the symphony of strings and tapping feet of dancing cats behind. The swelling, sonorous music, rising and falling like the sandy sea beneath the boardwalk, faded along with the laughter and bustle of the lively eastern...
Winded Sails - Chapter 6
Guided by the familiar scents and sounds of home, Kali settled back into the regular rhythm of life at shore. Though it wasn't an easy transition, after weeks at sea. It took her tail two days to stop over-correcting and adjust to the Benz's steady...
Winded Sails - Chapter 17
The next morning arrived too early, though not for the typical reasons. The slim slants of sunlight, a pale light that barely lit the hull through the few portholes, was rarely a welcome sight for Kali. A deceptive, cozy warmth that alighted on her...