Cursed Division

Chapter 5

DeathBlood cats gathered in the clearing, murmuring quietly to one another while waiting for their leader.
"I wonder why we were all called here." one cat wondered.
"Must be something important for all of us to be here like this." another guessed, casting a glance at all the other cats in the crowded clearing.
"So you say. It better be. I was having a good time torturing my ex-mate." the cat beside them grunted.
"Let go of me, you bastard!" a cat screeched from the edge of the clearing, batting at a silver tom with a scarred pelt.
"Eat me you piece of rotted meat!" the silver tom spat in reply. The two cats tussled in the clearing, cats moving out of the way clearly not wanting to stop them. Lots of eyes sparked with interest and amusement.
"Stupid tomcats." a she-cat muttered nearby.
The two cats continued clawing at one another until the silver tom succeeded in pinning his opponent down and pressuring his paw on the throat of his victim.
"Die."
But before the silver tom could end his victim, an angry command echoed the clearing.
"Enough!" the two cats sprang apart at once, clearing recognizing the familiar voice of DeathBlood's leader. Cats parted to let their leader through. The silver tom backed away with dread at the sight of his furious leader. The DeathBlood leader gripped the silver Tom's throat with unsheathed claws causing lots of blood to ooze as he gripped the cat forward until they were both nose to nose.
"You are not to kill without my permission! Sit down and shut up SilverHawk or I will tear your throat out!" the leader flung SilverHawk forward and turned tail to make his way to the front of the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming tonight. We've some important matters to discuss." the DeathBlood leader began, his matted black pelt pricking. He shot his beady red eyes around the crowd, his broad build glistening in weak moonlight.
"I've noticed low security in this forest. Where are all the guards?"
No one responded but the guilty cats shifted their paws nervously.
The DeathBlood leader focused his glare on a mud brown tomcat.
"Why have you been absent from your duties?"
"I just don't think we need security.. Sir."
The leader bristled with outrage. "No security!? We need it more than ever! You slackers need to get your lazy tails up and do your job or you will all face brutal punishment! Have you been so blind to notice that our little slave has vanished!?"
Cats murmured in the crowd.
"Who?" one cat called.
"You stone headed rat! Midnight has vanished! She has gone and so have three more cats! There is PeaceLeaf scent at our border! PeaceLeaf cats have successfully came into our forest and four of our cats vanished!"
Gasps of shock rose from the crowd.
"We never noticed!" a ginger she-cat with one eye exclaimed.
"Of course you wouldn't! You idiots have been doing nothing but sitting on your tails!"
"How long ago did these cats vanish?" a gray Maine Coon cat asked from below, his gaze narrowed.
The DeathBlood leader lashed his tail. "A few days ago."
Even more yowls of shock rose from the gathered cats.
"What shall we do?" one cat asked.
"Well if you would get your sorry selves up I'd like to lead a patrol to PeaceLeaf to launch an invasion. We need Midnight back. They have stolen her from us along with Hawk and two unidentified kittens. They must have just been born to a cat recently."
"They were born to Ember. She is dead now. I killed her." A black tabby explained.
"Why did you kill her?" the DeathBlood leader questioned.
"She was the failed execution. Plus she had formed an alliance with Midnight so I'd gotten rid of her."
The leader dipped his head, his eyes sparking with approval. "Good. Thank you."
"When shall we invade, sir?" the Maine Coon asked, his long-furred tail swishing in impatience.
"Very soon. I want you all to be ready. I will organize training groups and will be supervised by my most trusted. Be ready. This battle will be bloody. Lots of cats will die. Sharpen your claws."
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Midnight paced the clearing waiting for Leandro. He was going to do his business while Midnight waited here for him to get done. They were going hunting together. In the few days Midnight spent with the PeaceLeaf cats, they'd been kind and treated her well though some still looked suspicious of her. Hawk had made a few friends but was particularly close to a sandy she-cat named PaleMoon. Pine and Flare, Ember's former kits now have settled down with the nursing cats or mothers and their kittens. The two young littermates had been playing with the other kittens from dawn until dusk. It was good that her friends we're settling in so well. They're all been fed properly and given perfect places to sleep. Others were very caring for Midnight and her friend's needs. She enjoyed the kindness and the company of all these nice cats. Others like CrookedTail and Crow still weren't as nice though. She had found out that CrookedTail and Crow were brothers and were very suspicious of newcomers and were known for their low tempers and hostility. She learned that their parents had died when they were very young and CrookedTail's accident that broke his tail destroyed him forever. The tomcat had fallen out of a tree when he was very young and had fractured his tail in several places permanently. Althea, the PeaceLeaf healer mentioned that even after numerous attempts to fix his tail, it was impossible. Crow on the other hand was just a negative tomcat but yet very protective and caring for his brother. Midnight respected them despite their hostility. They only had each other and have been very close sense their parents died. The way their parents died wasn't revealed to Midnight. But she was informed it was in a brutal way that no cat would ever even wish upon their worst enemy.
Midnight was now pacing impatiently. Where is he? No one takes that long to do their business!
Just as she was becoming more and more irritable, Leandro emerged from the other side of the clearing from the camp bushes and bounded over to her.
"Sorry, that rabbit hurt my stomach."
"No worries." Midnight meowed. "Do you need Althea to check you?"
Leandro shook his head. "No, I'm fine now."
"Good. You ready?" Midnight asked. Leandro nodded.