Allan Kosovo's Story

Nellie looked on as the big cat broke down into tears, shock keeping her from being more sympathetic. She had not been aware that others in the Royal Family had been dealt with. It made sense given the coup, and she would have probably come to that disturbing revelation once she had a moment to think on the train, but it was quite heavy hearing the news from a beast who was actually there. Wherever Lord Corvus had the rest of his family locked up, they would have to be found. With any hope a good tradesman could do the job.

While glad that Jana had taken up the role of comforting the distraught gentry, Nellie struggled to strike up the quite urgent instruction that they needed to continue moving. Trying to find a balance between addressing the prince as the royalty he was, and coaxing him onward like she would do for her little brother when he scrapped his knee on the way back to the house, turned out to be rather difficult. But the fact remained that a big sniveling tiger made quite an unusual spectacle in a not-quite-side-enough side alley.

"So here is where my train ticket as run off to then," a low voice said, cutting through the bustle heard from the main street. The grip of nerves that had struck Nellie quickly melted into grateful recognition. She turned to see a shadowy feline, standing on the lee side of the alleyway. The creamy fur of the clouded leopard was visible only around the figures face, as he was otherwise completely covered up in surprisingly rugged finery. The only thing that suggested he had more trouble than a mere walk over here was a torn hem at the bottom of the shirt, mostly concealed by the way he had tucked it.

"Mister Kosovo!" Nellie exclaimed, despite herself. The cheetah knew her boss had an odd twick about not liking to hearing his name used in conversations if it was already clear he was being addressed.

"You have gotten far, and picked up an accomplice, but we need to keep going. Your highness, will you move? You will move with us, or will be moved by the mob, it is your choice," the leopard said with an urgent sternness. His eyes were fixed on the young prince, seemingly unperturbed by the city racket that echoed through the alley.

Everett was distraught, and while he was certainly letting out mournful growls, he wasn't sniveling.

"Look, my liege," Jana said carefully, "I understand that you are still grieving over what happened to your family. While it is good that you cared so much about them, you must move on. If we don't get out of here, you'll just end up sharing the same fate as them, and what good will that do your country? If you want to defeat Lord Corvus and establish justice in this land, you have to keep going. I've seen people who've given up, lying in puddles of their own piss... and that cannot happen to you, Everett. You must move on."

He growled softly, resisting the urge to shrug her paw off. It wouldn't do to shrug such a small wolf off, especially one who was helping him.

"So here is where my train ticket as run off to then." The cutting voice broke through Everett's grief and it made him turn to see the owner of the voice.

The feline was not even half the size of Everett.

This was the Cheetah's Master?

"Mister Kosovo!" The Cheetah exclaimed.

Or not.

"You have gotten far, and picked up an accomplice, but we need to keep going. Your highness, will you move? You will move with us, or will be moved by the mob, it is your choice," the stern Leopard spoke.

Everett let out a small cough and ducked his head, just as he abruptly moved away from the Wolf. He took a step toward the Clouded Leopard and with gaze cast down upon the smaller feline, he nodded, "I will go with you. Though I hope you, Tradesbeast, will not lead me to my enemies."

(OOC: Sorry this took me so long.)

Jana was startled as a voice spoke out to them. Whirling around, she saw a leopard dressed in rather rugged finery. "Mister Kosovo!" Nellie exclaimed.
Jana gave her companion(?) a questioning glance. "Friend of yours?" She inquired.

Kosovo eyed the the Prince coolly, though not with contempt. "My liege, I am first a subject, and then a tradesman. I assure you that my loyalty is unquestioned," the leopard responded, recognizing the need to make that concession. Turning his stance slightly to open himself up to the others, he raised a paw in gesture of the streets that ran outside the alleyway. "Speed is of the essence. There is a streetcar that runs down the middle of the main all the way to Central Station. Naturally, there have been checkpoints set up, but as long as we get off the block before, we should be fine."

Without so much as a pause for clarification, Kosovo turned to pick his way down the alley. Nellie took the chance to return Jana's remark, taking up position behind the Prince to act as a rear guard. "Employer, more like. He's the first cat you'd look for to get yourself out of a sticky spot," Nellie explained, a hint of admiration in her voice. She turned as if to start walking, before halting, as if she had thought of something. Turning back, she asked "Are you goin' to come along? I'm sures we can get His Highness out just fine." She expected the answer to be a polite "no", from which Nellie could transition into a brief note of thanks. After all, who would want to throw themselves into more danger?

At the end of the alleyway, Kosovo stepped into the light of the street, acting as natural as any cat would in the midst of a riot.

Jana would never know why she said yes. Every ounce of her intelligence had screamed at her to say "no" to Nellie's offer. Besides, what incentive did she had? She'd be risking her life for some snobbish royal who only cared for himself. And yet, she complied.
Perhaps something from her past days in her tribe had remained, some sense of loyalty to the pack. Or maybe she did have a shred of mercy within her. Regardless, her reply was, "Of course I'm coming along. Regardless of whether you or Everett think so, you need my skills."
And so, stunned at her answer, she followed Kosovo out into the street, trying not to flinch from those who gave her hard stares.

More than a little surprised that Jana wanted to continue to help, Nellie's breath caught as she tried to say something to follow up. Part of her was defensive that the shewolf had thought that Nellie held her abilities in contempt, but the reality was that, well, she kind of did. What did the wolf know about sensitive scenarios like this? And having a canine along wasn't exactly a good way to avoid prolonged gazes of passers by. Whereas Nellie could hide her rather conspicuous way of speaking by merely not doing so, it was something else to hide a wolf's tail. And ears.

Clamping down on those thoughts before they snowballed away, she made her way towards the alley's exit, stopping before she passed the Prince. "C'mon then, your Highness. Our tourn to be save'n you, yeah?" Nellie said with the lightest laugh she could force.

If Kosovo was surprised at Jana joining him in the streets, he didn't show it. Instead, he merely pointed to the electrified wires that were strung down the center of the avenue. Being on the shorter side of the general population, he relied on the movement of the lines to know the trolley was coming. "Next streetcar will be here in two moments. Jump on the back and stay near the doors, we won't be on for long."

Prince Everett was for once, glad he had been saved by these fellow felines. He had no response for Mr. Kosovo other then to nod his head, and after pulling the blanket Jana had thrown on him to cover more of his face, he followed the spotted leopard.

He kicked his lips and teeth in a strange way, suggesting hunger and stress. Though other then that, he just pretended to be a tiger with a hunched back, limping about his own business. Just hoped no strange felines would call out about the smell of blood that emanated from the injured tiger.

He was just starting to wonder what the females in their group were conspiring about when they suddenly broke up whatever conversation they were having. Jana passed him quickly and was followed by the Cheetah, who stopped to speak to him. "C'mon then, your Highness. Our tourn to be save'n you, yeah?"

"You're a bad actress," his statement did not suggest it to be a bad thing but - "But thanks for not leaving me back there." With that, he continued his hobbling to keep up with Mr. Kosovo.

"Next streetcar will be here in two moments. Jump on the back and stay near the doors, we won't be on for long."

Everett prepared himself mentally for the pain the jump would incur.

"Next streetcar will be here in two moments. Jump on the back and stay near the doors, we won't be on for long."
As the streetcar approached, Jana hid in the shadow of a wall. As soon as it began to pass, she nimbly dived and rolled onto the back in one single, fluid motion. She landed softly, and making sure nobody noticed her, pressed up against the wall by the door. She then motioned for the others to follow suit.

"Next streetcar will be here in two moments. Jump on the back and stay near the doors, we won't be on for long."
As the streetcar approached, Jana hid in the shadow of a wall. As soon as it began to pass, she nimbly dived and rolled onto the back in one single, fluid motion. She landed softly, and making sure nobody noticed her, pressed up against the wall by the door. She then motioned for the others to follow suit.

Soon after Jana, but not close enough that it would appear the two were affiliated to the casual viewer, Kosovo made less graceful jump onto the moving vehicle. Seemingly unsteady for a moment, the ocelot maintained his paws and soon fell into the press of bodies within the crowded car. He did error in getting too close to the middle where he couldn't see the window, so he added counting the stops to his list of worries.

Nellie, alternating between fluster and flattery at the Prince's comment, had fallen a bit behind while minding her charge. The trolley was starting to get up to speed, and the cheetah had to gird up her dress in one paw so that she could manage the speed needed to catch it. She was pulled on by a smiling stranger, who tried to make a humorous remark about her almost missing the timetable, but Nellie wasn't listening. She was concentrating on seeing where the other's had gotten to.

The press of the crowded streetcar waxed and waned as it made it's way down the stops, but it never totally thinned enough to grab a seat, even if everybeast were to act the perfect gentlemen to her. At least there was always a leather loop from the ceiling to cling to. No matter, thought Nellie, they would be getting off soon.

She was not overly apprehensive about being caught while riding the trolley, she recalled a story that Mr. Kosovo had told her. Apparently, there was a small ritual among Trademan Initiates that involved getting from one side of the town to the other without being caught by the instructors that patrolled the middle. While many creative ways of completing this challenge were tried, from jumping rooftops, to crawling sewers, the masquerading every thinkable profession, the challenge was very rarely successful for the Initiates. That was, until a young cat in Kosovo's class merely jumped on the bus and rode it to the other end of town. No one had thought to look in such an obvious spot.

Kosovo, far from dreamily recalling that particular memory, had managed to squirm his between passengers to a window. Looking through the dirty glass, he could see from the street signs that now was the time to jump off. At the next station, he alerted his compatriots with a jerk of the head, and got off the car. A block more to the station, and they would be out of this capitol and able to regroup.

Silent as the wind, Jana tucked and rolled off the streetcar and into the street, unseen. Then, sticking close to the shadows, the she-wolf followed her allies as they headed towards the train station. As they moved, she kept an eye out for any guards noticing them, or just suspicious activity in general.

These future moments would forever be etched into his mind. The jerking of the trolley, and the squishing and squashing of those all shoved inside it. Strangers were unknowingly hurting him, their new crown prince meant for the throne. Somehow, he found that funny. This was then followed a silent hiss once the trolley jerked to a final stop.

Looking out through the window panes and the in between passing strangers, he saw the small spotted leopard. Kosovo.

Everett hunched in on himself and maneuvered he way off the trolley.

Once off, he started limping after Kosovo, not noticing that all the constant movements had kept his shoulder wound from healing. The blood was already beginning to seep into the blanket tarp like thing Jana had covered him with.

Kosovo had long mastered the act of playing the casual civilian. Nellie was envious of his projected coolness, as she sought to do the same. Not a moment passed that she did not want to look backwards over her shoulder, or to speed up and get out of the public view. The young cheetah had to force herself to slow down, walk measured steps, and wear a mask of ease. It wasn't likely that she would be recognized, of course. The only beasts who had seen her helping His Highness the Prince were those sentries on the bridge, and the odds that they would encounter them again were remote. So she brushed down her skirt, adjusted her hat, and pushed on with a forced jauntiness.

As with other times of turmoil in the city, beasts of all classes that could afford to do so were making their way for the train station. It didn't matter whether it was the threat of plague or the threat of invasion, the collective reasoning was that the countryside was safer than remaining in the capitol. When it came to passing the checkpoint set up in front of the terminus, Kosovo and company would easily be able to squeeze through in the press. Luckily, they still had their two return tickets for the 4:10; it would be impossible to purchase new ones with the station in such a tumult.

In the crowd of the platform, Kosovo took the small risk of addressing his companions openly once they caught up. "Alright, your Highness. Take this ticket, it will get you to Draxton. Nellie will accompany you," Kosovo explained as he handed over his pass, using his other paw to stifle Nellie's inevitable objection. "Nellie, take the Prince to my home. Stay with Alice until I come."

He turned at last to Jana. "Thank you for your help, miss. I'm sure you will be able to return through the checkpoint without any trouble," the leopard said, giving a small tip of his cap.

Everett wanted nothing more than to be a young kit again. To be snuggled up on his mother's lap with his brother, napping the day awhile while listening to his mother's purr of a lullaby. Someone bumped into him and he staggered, reminding him that such a possibility was not real. Time could not go backwards. Not even for a Prince.

His chest began to ache again out of grief.

"Alright, your Highness. Take this ticket, it will get you to Draxton. Nellie will accompany you," Kosovo explained as he handed over his pass, using his other paw to stifle Nellie's inevitable objection. "Nellie, take the Prince to my home. Stay with Alice until I come."

Everett was surprised when the small Mr. Kosvo came to a stop, but what was even more surprising was that they were splitting up. He ducked his head, trying to be respectful but from his height, he wasn't sure if Mr. Kosovo understood the movement, so he voiced it. "Yes, sir." How odd it was for him to say that last word. Sir. "I hope to see you again, and I'm sorry for my earlier outburst... I'm not like my older brother."

Everett took a small sideways step to hopefully give Nellie time to say goodbye to Mr. Kosovo.

"I know you will, and I will try. Get going you two," was the reply, before the leopard melted back into the press on the platform. Everett was bored with the leopard's exit. I guess I can't expect anything less from a tradesbeast.

"Into the car, sah," Nellie started, putting the most hesitating of paws onto the Prince to nudge him in the right direction. "We are the fourth compartment in second class." Everett went along with the Cheetah, wondering if she was really capable of being in charge of the duo.

Once in the compartment, Everett took a moment to really take it in as he sat with his paw to his wounded shoulder. The crammed space was uncomfortable for the Prince in the sense he had always been in the most spacious options available. Royal blood really allowed him to live his life in a comfortable manner. Not anymore.

"Sorry for the drabness. I'd imagine this is a bit more Spartan than you're used to, sah."

Everett winced as the whole mechanical worm jerked forward, as if the brakes were starting wear out. He shoved the blanket Jana had given him off him to look at his wound... Which turned out to be a horrible move on his part. "Mrrrrrro."

The low groan was part growl as he stopped trying to turn his head to see the wound. It hurt the most out of all his wounds, and it was a good thing the scratches - which were more like knife wounds than scratches, courtesy of the Jaguar Lord's claws - had finally stopped bleeding. Though his clothes were a mess.

Earlier that day, he had been dressed for light activity, wearing only a white tunic, and lightly tanned breeches. Although, now his tunic was ripped to shreds, barely hanging to his body frame while his breeches were stained with blood. His brother's as well as his own. It's incredible how no one had bothered to stop him on his way to the station. Maybe the Sun Cat had helped him survive. To perhaps go back and rule as the rightful king? "Hah, it'll be a miracle if anyone actually backs my claim to rule, though I'm sure Lord Corvus has already made a move to keep that from happening."