The Battle to Confession

By Thomas Rowe

Claws and whiskers! A spirit of uncertainty and unrest has settled upon the Cougar village. Cheshire Cougar, the brave and noble Marquis of Cougars, has been brought back from the Battle of Eastern Pass on a travois. The leader of the Cougar clan has lost his ability to smell out those enslaved to the dragon and the Council is scared. Just as the residents of the forest valley are adjusting to the return of the Marquis of Cougars, Cheshire turns the social world upside down by appointing Nurse Leana Longclaw to be his assistant and second in command. Will Cheshire be able to battle his inner demons? Will Leana be able to face her fears? Or will an accidental trip to the human realm make them lose the battle to confession?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Rowe
• Release date: Aug 24, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476087627

Thomas Rowe

Northern Virginia native Thomas Rowe is a writer whose influences include golden age mystery novels, detective novels, historic fiction, fantasy, and the classic pulp heroes of the past. His life experiences are just as diverse as his literary influences. Thomas Rowe grew up during the computer boom of the 80's and 90's and worked as a local sales rep for a nationally known computer company. He also has a keen interest in history, has a degree in graphic design, and received a golden bit in appreciation for his volunteer work with a local therapeutic riding program. When he is not fighting traffic during his commute, Thomas Rowe works to craft tales of adventure that will take readers along for the journey.

Book preview

THE BATTLE TO CONFESSION

The Second Codex of Evermore

By

Thomas Earl Rowe

Copyright 2012 Thomas Rowe

Smashwords Edition

DISCLAIMER

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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The following is a work of fiction. Any similarity to places, organizations, or people living or dead is coincidental.

The Battle to Confession and all of the characters contained within the Evermore series are the exclusive property of Thomas Rowe. No content from these books can be copied for any reason or in any form without written permission from the author.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Disclaimer

Thanks

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Afterword

Other Books

Thanks

Special Thanks to my Mother for her support.

Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but powers and principalities.

BEFORE

All the clans that were members of the Council shared the same training grounds. The training grounds were located in the middle of Council territory. At the present they were not in use. It was early morning and the only cats present were Cheshire and Commander Sage. It was the perfect time for Cheshire to practice. Cheshire wanted to show his clan that he was still strong enough to lead them. Cheshire was not the same cat that had been brought home on a travois. His wounds had healed and his strength had returned. It was now time to regain his confidence.

The morning sun had been shrouded by gray clouds. Chesh suspected that it would rain before sunset. He stood at the beginning of the obstacle course. On the other end Commander Sage waited and watched.

After stretching, Cheshire began. He scaled a wall of logs and then pounced around a series of obstacles. The more he exerted himself the more the injured muscles in his shoulder reacted. In the middle of the course he scaled a tall tree. At the top he was supposed to strike a target that hung from a branch. Upon climbing to the top Cheshire reached out with his right paw to touch the target. Jagged waves of pain radiated from his shoulder, causing him to withdraw his paw and cling to the tree as his muscles spasmed.

Will I never be free of this? he grunted through tightly clenched teeth.

Defeated, Cheshire cautiously made his way down the tree and then limped to where Commander Sage stood. Sage watched Cheshire’s movements with a look of concern. Cheshire had asked for his help and had also sworn him to secrecy. The commander respected Cheshire, but he could not watch him destroy himself.

Sir Cougar, you have done well so far. Please remember that the whole course is not navigated in a day, he began.

I was doing well until my shoulder spasmed, Chesh replied.

Have you had the shoulder looked at?

I was told that rest and time were the only cure.

Perhaps you may want to help the process along by not straining your body, Sage suggested.

You have a good point. I have conquered this course before and I will conquer it again. For now it appears I must wait, Chesh reluctantly agreed.

*****

Cold Brook lay just outside of Cougar Village. The stream’s water was cool and the slope was gentle. A pavilion with a straw roof had been built for the use of the clan. During bad weather the Duke or the Marquis would use the pavilion to hold meetings. The rest of the time it was available for public use. Presently the cougar elders were relaxing in the shade and were enjoying a chance to catch up on village news.

Commander Sage and Xander Quartz had been engaged in a game of cat scratch when a newcomer barged in.

The Marquis of Cougars has announced that he is holding a dinner in honor of all those who helped him while he was injured, the newcomer announced.

I had heard that something like that was in the works, Xander interjected.

From whom? Weaver Dogwood inquired.

Probably from Head Nurse Thistle. She’s been hinting at it long enough, Elder Trueclaw rolled his eyes.

I don’t understand that. Nurse Longclaw went above and beyond the call of duty to bring the Marquis back to health. Thank the Master for that. How does the Marquis thank her? He believes everything that Head Nurse Thistle tells him. I have two fears. Either the venom has left him truly blind, or he is not as smart as I thought he was.

I have witnessed the Marquis limping around quite a bit. Perhaps he is still ailing, Dogwood speculated.

You may be a gifted basket maker, but you are not qualified to diagnose your neighbor, Sage replied.

Nurse Longclaw is your granddaughter, Commander Sage. Surely you are not without input, Cropper thumped his tail against the ground and then wrapped it around his paws.

Momentarily Sage sat frozen. Then the birch branch that he had been chewing stood straight up as he clamped his jaws down on the twig. He then looked up and made eye contact with Cropper. Sage’s ears lowered a fraction of an inch.

The Master blessed me with a wonderful daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and grandson. Do not think that I would ever stand by and let some scalawag hurt any of them, Sage warned.

I did not mean that, Cropper retreated.

I think we should all wait until after the dinner before we pass judgment on the Marquis’ intentions. None of us would want to be guilty of spreading false rumors, Sage continued.

Agreed, Cropper conceded.

****

As a rule cougars like to have land around their dens. As a result the center of the village was the cougar seat of judgment, storage dens, and the nurses’ supply. The nurses’ supply was a large den used by the nurses to keep their healing herbs and scrolls. It was there that Leana and her fellow nurses were working diligently to resupply the baskets at the end of their shift.

It was while they were working that a messenger arrived. The messenger delivered invitations to Leana and her fellow nurses--even Violet. They had graciously accepted the invitation and returned to work.

Ooooh, the Marquis of Cougars makes me so mad I could hiss. Lea, you and his family stood by him through the worst of it. He has betrayed you by giving Head Nurse Thistle the credit. How can he be our judge if he believes the rumors that are spread by Nurse Thistle? a cougaress with a crescent shaped patch of fur above her left eye fumed.

I don’t listen to rumors. The feast is to honor every cat who helped. Eve, you and Violet are to be guests as well, Lea replied.

Will the menu include undeserved praise? That will be Thistle’s main course. I will go, but I will not enjoy a moment of it, Violet added.

I believe in my friend more than in rumors. I am going to the feast with one hope and desire--that all will be honored equally. I may not have chosen this method, but I respect Cheshire’s decision, Lea commented meekly.

Hun, he does not deserve your loyalty, Eve stated as she followed after Violet who had finished work and was leaving.

Leana, Eve, and Violet had become good friends during their time with the Council Nurse Corps. She knew that her friends meant well, but they did not know what Cheshire had planned. Leana knew that Cheshire planned to put an end to Head Nurse Thistle’s lies. The Head Nurse’s recent behavior had left Cheshire with few options. Leana prayed for her superior and hoped that she could change.

On the evening of Cheshire’s feast, his guests arrived at the Cougar Family den and were greeted by a generous spread of fruits, vegetables, and various nuts. Cheshire stood in front of the den and welcomed his dinner guests as they arrived. Leana and her three nurse friends had been invited to stand with his parents while he directed the other guests to the court-yard behind the den.

Head Nurse Thistle was among the last to arrive. She glided up to Cheshire with a self confident smile. Thistle had delicate features and would have been pretty if not for her behavior. Tonight all agitation was gone and the soft white bands of fur on her cheeks accentuated her smile.

I would like to thank you for this invitation, Sir Cougar, Thistle thanked her host.

I could not leave out the cat that helped me see who my true friends are. Please enjoy the feast. The other guests are in the courtyard. Cheshire replied.

When the main group was seated, only Cheshire, Head Nurse Thistle, Leana, and the other three nurses were left standing. The space open at the head of the feast was Cheshire’s by right. The only question was who got to sit in the four spaces of honor next to Cheshire and who would sit alone at the far side of the group. Without an invitation, Sharon Thistle plunked down in the highest seat next to the Marquis. Seeing this, Cheshire burst into laughter attracting his guests’ attention.

You know what I love about our head nurse? Her eagerness to perform her duties, He announced. Thistle merely gawked.

If you would pick up that scroll, Head Nurse, you can direct our guests of honor to their places, Chesh informed Thistle, who was still in shock. To her surprise, Thistle found a scroll tucked into the food in front of where she had sat down. Cheshire had known where she would sit and had planned for it. Sharon did not like how Cheshire had tricked her, but she would never show it. Without a word, Thistle stood up and unrolled the scroll.

"For their brave services during the Battle of Eastern Pass,