Sunset shook her head, clearing her mind. But she couldn't help but think about the clump of cat fur on the bush and the paw print. Was she being watched?
No. It couldn't be. Why would a cat watch her? What would they want from her?
Even as Sunset reassured herself, in the deepest corner of her mind, she knew that she was lying. She stepped out of the hollow log.
Something is out there.....
*****
Sunset dragged a mouse and two blackbirds into camp. She set them down with a few other catches of the day in the pile. Then she lifted her head and sniffed the air. Everyone was in camp at the moment.
"Everyone! Time for the dusk meal!" she called, eager to fill her empty stomach.
The cats flooded towards her, each snatching u their pick from the pile with hungry jaws. In their encampment, there where only two meals a day for the cats fit to hunt for themselves.
After the scrabble to get the prey, the cats settled down to eat. There had been just enough, the prey pile empty and everyone's belly full. The contented murmuring of the cats talking among themselves calmed Sunset. It was like the peaceful hum of bees hovering above the flowers in their yellow and white striped coasts.
Once the prey was finished, the cats crowded around, Stone and Lavender still locked in conversation. Canary was playing with a large black beetle. Sunset, Crow and Blaze all curled together for warmth. Sunset looked at Ivory's usual spot, farther away from the other cats. To her surprise, he wasn't there!
"Ivory?" Sunset called warily.
No answer.
"What is it, Sunset?" Blaze questioned, tilting his head in caution.
"I can't seem to see Ivory. Do you know where he may have gone?"
Blaze shook his head. "I saw him during the dusk meal, but not after that."
"Hmm....I wonder where he has gone," Sunset wondered, slight fear sparking in her eyes. Where could he be?
Suddenly, a muffled crunch sounded from the bushes at the far side of the clearing. All of the cats turned their heads to the bushed, pricking their ears. But the sound did not come twice. Still, Canary backed away from the bushes in case it was a dangerous animal like a dog or a fox.
The cats let the fur on the backs of their necks smooth. Still, it had been a frightening sound.
Then, seven adult cats burst from the bushes, leaves scattering in their wake. Immediately, they locked in combat, claws unsheathed and teeth flashing.
Sunset leaped onto a slender grey she-cat that looked frail and thin. Before her paws even brushed the she-cat's pelt, the grey cat spun around and executed a well-aimed blow. The second the grey she-cat's claws had finished their work, Sunset thumped to the ground, both of her front pads cut open and her blood spilling to the ground. It had all happened in less then a second.
Sunset scrambled to her feet, soil singing her deep cuts. Sunset whipped around to make a back kick. Just as her hind paws left the dusty ground, she thumped to the ground again. The grey she-cat had hooked Sunset's paws with her front paw and pulled them to the side, knocking Sunset off balance.
Sunset once again stood on unstable paws. She looked once again at the she-cat. "Who are you?" she breathed.
"I am Temptress, leader of the Warriors of the Woods. This is my territory now." As the slender she-cat said this, she didn't look frail and thin anymore. She looked powerful and elegant.
Sunset blinked, having never heard about the Warriors of the Woods before. Then she spat back in reply, "You will never take this land! Not as long as I stand, in the least!"
Temptress launched forward off of her powerful hind legs. Sunset swiped at her leg, but the she-cat was so fast that the well-aimed blow only sketched a thin scratch on the top part of the paw. Temptress didn't even flinch. Instead, she twisted in mid-air and, as she landed, she clenched Sunset's scruff in her sharp fangs.
Sunset yowled in pain and tried to shake Temptress off, but the fearless she-cat clung on, merely tightening her grip. Sunset was worried, knowing that she was no match for the powerful cat, Temptress. Temptress pulled Sunset to the ground and let go of her scruff. A split second later, she executed a sharp kick to Sunset's back, claws half-extended.
Sunset had no time to react to the quick series of moves. She tumbled under a bramble bush, three yards away from Temptress. She weekly tried to get up, but the sharp branches of the bush stabbed her flank and reopened her wounds.
The bush was thick with plump, dark berries. As Sunset stepped out of the bush, she stepped on a berry, the juice entering the reopened cut on her pad. She winced at the sting of the juice in her scratch. Then she turned and racked her gaze through the battle. Temptress was locked in combat with Crow, who was on his back, his belly bleeding heavily.
Sunset leaped at Temptress as she began to advance on Crow. Although Temptress's back was turned, her instincts were strong as her eyes. She slid underneath Sunset and Sunset crash-landed into Crow, who had just gotten to his feet.
Sunset stumbled to her shaky paws. She turned her head and glared in Temptress direction. Although she tried not to show it, she was afraid of this powerful she-cat. She knew that she couldn't beat her. Probably no cat could. She knew that if she tried, she would die in the process. She knew this without doubt. Temptress knew it to. Even so, Sunset gathered her paws underneath her and sprang. Temptress ducked and swiveled around, knocking Sunset to the ground.
Sunset scrambled desperately to her paws. How could she win a battle with this cat on the other side? She couldn't.
Temptress detected self-doubt in Sunset's eyes. "Come to you scenes, pampered kit?" Temptress taunted.
Sunset was about to retort in reply, when she heard a shriek of pain. She recognized the cat that the cry of agony belonged to. Blaze!
-KittyLover8
© 2012
"Ivory?" Sunset called warily.
No answer.
"What is it, Sunset?" Blaze questioned, tilting his head in caution.
"I can't seem to see Ivory. Do you know where he may have gone?"
Blaze shook his head. "I saw him during the dusk meal, but not after that."
"Hmm....I wonder where he has gone," Sunset wondered, slight fear sparking in her eyes. Where could he be?
Suddenly, a muffled crunch sounded from the bushes at the far side of the clearing. All of the cats turned their heads to the bushed, pricking their ears. But the sound did not come twice. Still, Canary backed away from the bushes in case it was a dangerous animal like a dog or a fox.
The cats let the fur on the backs of their necks smooth. Still, it had been a frightening sound.
Then, seven adult cats burst from the bushes, leaves scattering in their wake. Immediately, they locked in combat, claws unsheathed and teeth flashing.
Sunset leaped onto a slender grey she-cat that looked frail and thin. Before her paws even brushed the she-cat's pelt, the grey cat spun around and executed a well-aimed blow. The second the grey she-cat's claws had finished their work, Sunset thumped to the ground, both of her front pads cut open and her blood spilling to the ground. It had all happened in less then a second.
Sunset scrambled to her feet, soil singing her deep cuts. Sunset whipped around to make a back kick. Just as her hind paws left the dusty ground, she thumped to the ground again. The grey she-cat had hooked Sunset's paws with her front paw and pulled them to the side, knocking Sunset off balance.
Sunset once again stood on unstable paws. She looked once again at the she-cat. "Who are you?" she breathed.
"I am Temptress, leader of the Warriors of the Woods. This is my territory now." As the slender she-cat said this, she didn't look frail and thin anymore. She looked powerful and elegant.
Sunset blinked, having never heard about the Warriors of the Woods before. Then she spat back in reply, "You will never take this land! Not as long as I stand, in the least!"
Temptress launched forward off of her powerful hind legs. Sunset swiped at her leg, but the she-cat was so fast that the well-aimed blow only sketched a thin scratch on the top part of the paw. Temptress didn't even flinch. Instead, she twisted in mid-air and, as she landed, she clenched Sunset's scruff in her sharp fangs.
Sunset yowled in pain and tried to shake Temptress off, but the fearless she-cat clung on, merely tightening her grip. Sunset was worried, knowing that she was no match for the powerful cat, Temptress. Temptress pulled Sunset to the ground and let go of her scruff. A split second later, she executed a sharp kick to Sunset's back, claws half-extended.
Sunset had no time to react to the quick series of moves. She tumbled under a bramble bush, three yards away from Temptress. She weekly tried to get up, but the sharp branches of the bush stabbed her flank and reopened her wounds.
The bush was thick with plump, dark berries. As Sunset stepped out of the bush, she stepped on a berry, the juice entering the reopened cut on her pad. She winced at the sting of the juice in her scratch. Then she turned and racked her gaze through the battle. Temptress was locked in combat with Crow, who was on his back, his belly bleeding heavily.
Sunset leaped at Temptress as she began to advance on Crow. Although Temptress's back was turned, her instincts were strong as her eyes. She slid underneath Sunset and Sunset crash-landed into Crow, who had just gotten to his feet.
Sunset stumbled to her shaky paws. She turned her head and glared in Temptress direction. Although she tried not to show it, she was afraid of this powerful she-cat. She knew that she couldn't beat her. Probably no cat could. She knew that if she tried, she would die in the process. She knew this without doubt. Temptress knew it to. Even so, Sunset gathered her paws underneath her and sprang. Temptress ducked and swiveled around, knocking Sunset to the ground.
Sunset scrambled desperately to her paws. How could she win a battle with this cat on the other side? She couldn't.
Temptress detected self-doubt in Sunset's eyes. "Come to you scenes, pampered kit?" Temptress taunted.
Sunset was about to retort in reply, when she heard a shriek of pain. She recognized the cat that the cry of agony belonged to. Blaze!
-KittyLover8
© 2012
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