Captain of the Guards- Chapter One- The Meeting

A lean, sandy colored she-cat with darker flecks dotting her pelt leapt off a sun-warmed den to join a small group of cats who had been sitting beneath her, evidently waiting. This band of cats was lead by a dark orange tom with a white underbelly. His eyes looked sad and tired.

“Let’s go,” said the red-and-white tom, his voice a hoarse whisper.

The cats set off, the sandy she-cat lingering in the rear of them, her hazel eyes weary. Soon, they came to a halt, beside a towering tree. The tree looked as though it were dying, the majority of its leaves brown and withered and the others drooping. The huge tree was growing atop a large boulder, which was taller then a man and a wide as at least a dozen. The ancient tree’s gnarled roots were sprawled across the surface of this stone.

Soon another band of cats appeared out of the half-shadow provided by the hulking tree and boulder. The small she cat crouched behind her fellow cat. She knew that it was likely for her to have to spy on these cats, and that, if so, it would not be helpful for her to be recognized as one of Ember’s cats.

“So,” said a gloating voice, that come from a large, ruddy brown tom who had a pleased sneer on his face, “you decided to show up. That’s a surprise. I would have thought that the legendary King Ember, Leader of the Great Empire, the biggest kingdom of all, would have had the sense not to.”

The tom gestured to his cats with a crude and sharp swipe of his tail. They were the size of two of the small, thin cat that Ember had brought. The cats were all muscle-bound and looked as though they would be pleased to inflict pain on any cat who so much as bothered them, due to the malevolent glint in their eyes.

King Ember ignored this comment, and rose his head as high as it would go, attempting to reach up to the other tom’s chin. “Why did you ask us to come here, Slate?” he questioned with a defiant glare.

King Slate laughed mirthlessly, and though a few of his subjects grinned, brows lowered, none of them joined in. “Ha ha ha! You are even more foolish then I thought, Ember. And believe me, that is not a statement that I expected to make. You mean to tell be that you have not guessed yet? I have come here to request you to give me all of your land.” The king turned to glare at Ember, his eyes glittering with menace. “Oh, wait, did I say ‘request?’ I meant ‘tell!’”

He proceeded to laugh heartily at this, and still none of his guards joined him.

Ember glared back at Slate, as stoney-faced as the guards. “My empire would never give in without a fight!”

“Ah, well then, it looks as though you’ll have one,” King Slate replied.

Ember opened his mouth to argue, but at that moment, Fleck saw something on a ginger she-cat’s leg--a slight distortion in the fur. She recognized it as a camouflaged gun. Because she was only able to see it, and many other concealed weapons on the enemy cats thanks to he ninja spy training, she knew that the others must not know. Still crouched behind cats she let out a low hiss and scraped the stone with unsheathed claws, so that long white lines became etched into its surface to alert her king.

Ember’s ears swiveled to face her and he, begrudgingly, abandoned King Slate and his cats momentarily to see what she had to say.

“What is it?” He hissed, eyes still on Slate.

“These cats,” Flack whispered, still in shock at the sight, “have guns.”

“What?” Ember gasped, a little more loudly then he had intended. “But it cannot be! We--they--can’t--!”

“Oh, stop your stuttering!” Fleck hissed, evidently annoyed, all shock lost. “We need to get out of here.”

The king was still in a shock. He and his kingdom had never seen war, and he knew that they were on the losing side. “But--but we cannot give them our territory! They will have us all enslaved! They will--”

“I know that!” Fleck snapped. “We’re not going to. It’s just that it isn’t currently in our place to announce what we’re going to do. Do you really want your head blown off?”

“No,” the king sighed regretfully. Ember took a deep breath of air to calm himself and then released it. He then nodded to her and turned back to face King Slate. “If you want a war...then there is nothing I can do to stop you. Farewell, fellow king.”

“You are a fool,” sneered Slate. With a moment of hesitation he added, “And a dead man.” This was followed by another bought of psychotic laughter.

At that, Slate turned heel and melted into the shadows. His guards followed this suit.

King Ember sighed, looking more tired then ever. “Let’s go,” he muttered to his cats, and they too left.______________________________________________________________________

“But it can’t be!” King Ember was crying scornfully. “Who ever heard of cats with guns? You have to have been mistaking it! If thy had guns, surely they would have killed us then and there...?”

“No,” Fleck murmured. “No, I think that they wanted the fact that they had guns to be kept a secret, a surprise. It would give them even more of an upper hand. If they had killed us there, our bodies would surly be found, and eventually someone would figure--judging by our wounds--how we had been killed. No, it would have been much safer for them to wait.”

“But what if you just imagined the weapons?” Ember pressed.

Fleck shook her head, her mind wandering, her eyes glazed. “As for the gun, I know for sure that it was there. There is nothing more to say. If you must, then you can go on telling yourself that it was a figment of my imagination. Then, I most regretfully say, our enemy will be in the exact place that they were hoping for.”

Ember studied Fleck, looking her up and down. Finally, with a long, defeated sigh, he said, “Ah, but Fleck, I believe you. I never did doubt you. But I would be lying if I said that I didn’t hope that you were daydreaming.”

Fleck nodded slightly, still looking as though she were in a faraway place.

“I also wanted to say,” Ember said, pausing at this, “that though I myself never expected you to do so, that it is time for you to do what you have trained for. You must spy on our enemy.”

Fleck gave another small nod, and departed. She knew that she would have to bring her things--her belt, her dagger, and her earpiece--and yet conceal them. She decided on leaving them nearby Slate’s Empire as that, if needed, she could retrieve them.

Fleck gathered them from behind one of the caves and set off. There was almost a whole mile of land in between the two kingdoms, so it took her quite a bit of time to arrive at the encampment. She took in everything for a brief moment--the small caves in which the Commoners must live, and the huge guard's den, which was caved out of a towering tree that had to be seven times taller then the Commoner's homes, the top have was where the king lived and the bottom was where the guards slept, and there was also a township clearing where the Commoners dwelt and a battle clearing where the guards practiced fighting and shooting--and then she darted behind some brambles.

Her scent honeyed and concealed by that of the bramble’s flowers, she set her things down onto the shaded grass beneath the bush, as that they could be left undisturbed in the promising protection of the bramble’s thorns.

This is it, Fleck thought nervously as the readied herself to exit the protection of the brambles. She had this one chance to get this right, and if she messed this up.... Well, if she messed this up, they had as good as lost.

Fleck took at deep breath to calm herself (knowing that the cats would be able to smell her fear), at stepped out of the brambles.______________________________________________________________________

-KittyLover8© 2013

Captain of the Guards- Prologue

Hi. I live here, in King Ember’s empire, a large kingdom that lives in peace, undisturbed. At least, we used to live in peace. The future for our empire is unclear now, ever since King Firebrand died. His kingdom is nearby, and the only other empire we know of. He and King Ember were good friends, and their friendship tied the two kingdoms together. But now, I’m not sure if this harmony will last.

King Ember told me about his meeting with the new king, King Slate. It is a custom for fellow kingdoms to do this--to express their sorrow for the loss of the old king and to welcome the new. King Ember told me that the new king did not seem grievous at all, and seemed merely to be pleased to become leader. Slate was also hostile, and had several bulky cats with his, apparently his guards. Slate requested for Ember to come to see him the following midday, bringing a few of his own cats.

Anyway, right now Ember is telling his cats about this. Five of us are to join him and see what Slate has to say. But I’m worried. I don’t think that this meeting is going to be a very pleasant one.

Anyway, our kingdom is a very easy target. We have developed no weapons whatsoever, and none of us, save me, have received any battle training. Why is it that I have? Because I am the entire empire’s only ninja spy. Yep, I always thought that my job was useless. I mean, why would an empire that has never even seen a trace of a war need a ninja spy? I always thought that my future was clear--that I would merely continue life as it was; hunting prey for myself, finding a nice cozy spot to sunbathe atop a den (cave, whatever), mingling with the cats every once in a while. But now, I’m not so sure its gonna be so clear anymore.

Ember’s finished telling the cats about King Firebrand’s mysterious death and Slate’s new leadership. I’d better go, or they might leave without me. Those cats couldn’t fight a mouse, and they need me. Ah, it’s a shame too, the sun is bright today. Oh, and by the way. The name’s Fleck.

______________________________________________________________________

-KittyLover8

© 2013

Health: Smoking

Smoking started long ago, when the native Americans used to roll up dried tobacco plants and put one end in their mouth and set the other alight. Even this was unhealthy. But now smoking is much, much worse.

The worst thing about cigarettes and cigars is the fact that they are so addictive. Cigarette companies will pay actors and actresses to smoke on TV. People will idolize them and take up smoking.

But cigarette companies do far worse then just this. They put miniscule amounts of 200 different poisons; including arsenic (a fatal poison), methane (gas released from the intestines), benzene (which is linked to leukemia), and ethanol (which is alcohol). There is also cadmium--witch can cause lung and prostate cancer and fungicides and pesticides that also cause types of cancers and birth defects. There are also poisons that come from candle wax, rubber, and lighter fluid. Not something I would want to put in my mouth.

The reason why they put the 200 horrible poisons in cigarettes is so that people get addicted to them. They might start to imitate their favorite actress or actor or to look cool or something, but after a few goes, they become addicted to it just as you might get addicted to drugs. The gradually can hardly stand to be without them. The cigarette companies, obviously, do this to promote business. And, sadly, it works.

But it isn't just the poisons that makes cigarettes horrible for you. Smoke inhalation from the cigarette causes you lungs to rot and blacken. They end up looking eaten away at parts and become hard--not as flexible as they would without cigarettes. They look nothing like a healthy lung, which is pale, soft, and easily lengthens and shortens.

Cigarettes also cause other cancers--not just lung cancer. You can also get cancer of the, bladder, nose, kidney, mouth, esophagus, larynx (vocal chords), liver, stomach, bone, pancreas, and pharynx. It isn't just cancer that you have to worry about, either (as if it isn't enough). There is no proven link, but smoking may also cause leukemia.

You also have to worry about your teeth. Because of the cigarettes, your teeth will begin to yellow and decay. This won't just give you bad breath, either. Rotting teeth had been connected to heart diseases. And its not just your breath that will smell, either. The stench of the cigarettes will hang around you, your house, your car--wherever you smoke, really.

And smoking isn't just bad for you either. It's bad for the environment, too. First of all, it pollutes the air, seeing as it releases carbon dioxide (CO2). The amount of CO2 produced by smoking is tiny, small even at a large scale. But when you have several billion people smoking cigarettes, each one smoking hundreds of packets of them every year, you get much more carbon dioxide.

Smoking is bad for the environment also because of the fact that people litter, tossing used, often even still lit, cigarettes wherever they please. On the sidewalk, on the street, pretty much everywhere you look you can spot one of these foul things. Even if people where mindful and deposed of cigarettes the proper way--snuffing them out, placing them somewhere where they are not a fire hazard to cool off, and then throwing them out (into a trash can)--they will still end up in on of the countless dumps, still harming the earth. Each cigarette is tiny, but again, look at it by how many people smoke and how much they smoke. It really adds up.

Even if you don't care about your health or the environment, then what that of others? Smoking will cause the people around you to develop the same problems. My grandfather died from lung cancer because his wife smoked. This is an example of how smoking can effect your loved ones.

-KittyLover8
© 2013

Roxie: Prologue

ROXIE: Prologue

A young girl raised her head, looking up at the star-strewn sky. A silvery, claw-shaped moon glittered from far above her, glowing against the ink-black sky. A dark, shadowed pool of water rippled in the icy breeze. The girl, sighing, rose from where she had been perched upon a large coal-colored stone.   

"Come, Ebony," the girl said in a hushed tone, her breath misting.

Behind the black stone, something dark moved. A hulking figure had risen, and was now approaching the girl. Once it had come out of the shadow of the stone, it was clear that it was a wolf. The wolf was huge, the size of a horse. It was pure black with glittering emerald-green eyes. Its paws crunched on the frosty grass and its breath steamed in the icy air. Muscles rippled in its powerful limbs and its ivory-white teeth glinted in the pale light of the crescent moon.

But the girl smiled in greeting, her eyes sparkling. The black wolf pushed its great muzzle into her chest, nuzzling her. The girl swung onto its back with ease and carelessness, as if she had done it all her life.

"Come on, girl," the girl whispered, still smiling, into the creature's great ear.

With a snort of apprehension, the giant wolf pawed at to frosty earth and then sprinted off, the girl perched upon its back like a jockey. As the two passed a nearby ash tree, the dry leaves rattled and stirred.

Soon, the pair had melted into the faraway shadows, leaving the small clearing edged with trees in its cold, still silence.

-KittyLover8

© 2013

A Short Post on Marco Polo

Marco Polo's life started in Venice, Italy, 1254. His father was a merchant, as was his uncle. Marco Polo wished to follow the footsteps of his father.

So, one day, in 1270, when Marco Polo was seventeen, he went to China. He was accompanied by Niccolo Polo (his father) and Maffeo Polo (his uncle). They were following the silk road, which went to China.

The silk road consisted of a number of trading routes and trading posts. Few people used it, though. For it had many hazards. Although, the prizes were rich if you survived unharmed. There were many treasures in China that could be earned through trading, such as valuable spices, silk and gold.

First of all, the silk road spanned for miles on end. The desert that it passed through was hot and dry, as deserts will be. The hilly paths and the heavy winds made it so that you could easily lose your footing. Dangerous animals live near it, along with many other poisonous creatures. On top of all of that, bandits would camp out along in, lying in wait for unweary merchants who would be carrying with them valuables for or from trading.

It took Marco, Niccolo, and Maffeo Polo three years just to reach China. Once they did, they began trade. In the meantime, Marco Polo befriended the Court and established diplomatic relations with China. In no time, the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan appointed him in a high ranking, showing great trust.

To soon, it was time for the Polos to leave. But, while his father and uncle returned to Venice, Marco Polo stayed behind in China to learn more about their land and culture. Niccolo and Maffeo arrived back home in Italy nine years after they had left.

Marco Polo lived in China for seventeen years, leaving back for home when he was thirty-four. He wrote a book about his life there. It was full of wild tales, most of which were fake. But he made a big impact on trading in China. More and more merchants dared across the silk road. Trading there became much more popular. As did Marco Polo.

-KittyLover8
© 2013

Food Chains: Squirrels

INTRODUCTION

Today, I will be writing about squirrels. More specifically, squirrels' place on the food chain. So, what are food chains, anyway? Food chains are, basically, a way of explaining what organisms eat and what eats them. In a more complex way of speaking, what they eat, and what that eats, and what that eats, etc. An example is that a cat eats a mouse, the mouse ate a grasshopper, and the grasshopper ate some grass. This is a basic food chain.

WHAT SQUIRRELS EAT

So, what do squirrels eat? Well, squirrels eat both plant and animal food, making them omnivores. So, let's start with plant foods.

Plants/vegetarian things that squirrels eat include, lichens, buds, mushrooms, roots, pine nuts, leaves, twigs, bark, acorns, peanuts, stale bread, sunflower seed, crackers, dry corn, oranges, avocados, pumpkin seeds, apples, apricots, strawberries, tomatoes, beans, and squash seeds. They also eat other fungi, fruits, seeds, and nuts; along with any green plant.

As for animal foods that squirrels eat, bird eggs, snails, small birds, [certain types of squirrels, like the grey squirrel, will eat] animal carcasses, other squirrels' young, and insects. They normally only eat meat in times of great hunger, especially as when the meat is a baby squirrel.

Some other things that squirrels eat are shed antlers and dog and cat food. As you can see, they have a very broad niche when it comes to food.

WHAT EATS SQUIRRELS

Well, coyotes, wolves, house cats, foxes, hawks, snakes, owls, raccoons, weasels, falcons, pine martens, fishers (the animal), badgers, bears, and cougars all prey on squirrels.

For cruel fun, humans will also kill squirrels. This is unlike animals, who survive by feeding on other creatures because they were built that way. Or omnivores, like foxes and bears, who might not be able to find enough plant food that day and eat another animal instead. Humans can live by eating solely plants, as many have proven. Vegetarianism in humans is, in fact, is a health benefit! Most humans don't even eat the squirrels they murder.

-KittyLover8

© 2013

Niches: Cats

INTRODUCTION

So, what are niches? Niches are, basically, what an organism can eat, where it can live, how complex its shelter is, est. There are narrow niches (meaning that the organism has very limited food that it can eat and can only stay in a single or few different climates, hemispheres, continents, est.), medium niches (the organism having few food and living area choices, being more then the narrow niche animals and plants, but still fairly limited), and lastly broad niches (these organisms can live in a wide range of places. They also have diverse diet choices. They are quite adaptable and flexible). Today, I will be writing about the cat's niche.

FOOD

Cats eat a wide verity of animals, mostly mammals. They eat shrews, mice, rats, snakes, fish, young rabbits, birds, voles, insects, moles, squirrels, frogs, chipmunks, lizards, and several other creatures. Stray cats will also root through the garbage, eating anything that smells right. House cats eat cat food. So yes, a wide range of food.     

Cats will also eat grass. But they do it, not for food, but to help cure their stomach aches. When a cat eats grass, the grass makes the cat vomit. Though it may sound disgusting, it is very healthy for a cat. Vomiting because of the grass will force out everything in the cat's stomach, cleansing it. Now, whatever was bothering the cat is out.

Abut, there are also many things that are poisonous to cats. Some toxic plants are ivy, tomatoes, pits of almonds, ferns, elderberry, yew, foxglove, emerald feather, flax, morning glory, fiddle-leaf fig, bamboo, beargrass, aloe, mushrooms, mistletoe, and countless others. I advise you to, before you purchase a house plant, you do some research.

Though there are many plants that are harmful/fetal to cats, there are also quiet a few that are okay or even beneficial to cats. Basil, cornflower, zinnia, Irish moss, jasmine, and the spider plant, just to name a few, are are quite fine for cats.

As for animals that are dangerous to cats, look out for lizards (a little bit is okay, but to much is fetal. Lizards cause unhealthy weight loss to cats if eaten) and poisonous insects. It is best to keep your cat indoors to avoid your friend ingesting these.

There are also human things that are toxic to cats like raw tomatoes and potatoes (kills cats red blood cells), caffeine (which can result to serious health problems, some being fetal), chocolate (because it contains caffeine), grapes and raisins (resulting to kidney failure), milk (most cats are allergic to milk. They giving your cat cream or soy, almond, or rice milk as a substitute), and others like eggs.

So, there are also a lot of foods that are dangerous to cats.

HABITAT AND HOME

House cats live petty much everywhere humans live--all over the world. Strays, too, live almost everywhere (other then where it is too cold for them, though cats can adapt to temperatures that are very cold).

Cats adapt to uncomfortably exaggerated temperatures (whether its hot or cold) quite well. Seance they evolved from a small wild cat that lives in the desert, cats are especially good at cooling off. When they feel hot, they find a shaded spot and stretch out, releasing body heat. Why, cats can even keep a cool brain! The blood that is about to go to their brain first stops at the nose, where it cols (this is because, like human fingers, gets cold faster then most of the rest of the cat's body, this is because it kind of sticks out and is separated from the main part of the body, where its warmest). Then, the cool blood goes to the brain.

Cats can also survive in a cold climates by adapting. Generation after generation, their fur would get longer and thicker and more suitable to the freezing cold temperature. To keep warm, the cat would curl up into a tight ball, probably in the most sunny spot or on a blanket or something of the likeness. And/or the cat would find a souse of heat to sleep on , like another cat, a human's lap, or a heating vent.

CONCLUSION

As we have learned, cats have a wide range of food. Although, they can't eat quite a lot of food, due to the fact that it could be fetal to them. They live virtually everywhere and can endue and adapt to both extreme heat and cold.

So what would you say a cat's niche is? Narrow, medium, or broad? I believe that a cat's niche is broad. Why? Because, though they have their limits, cats are very flexible to change. They can scavenge and hunt. They can be loners but still work together in times of need. They can survive in heat and cold. They can live in forests, tundras, grasslands, plains, marshes, est. So this is no exaggeration I make when I say that cats are truly amazing.

-KittyLover8
© 2013