Cursed Division - Kindred Whispers book 2)

Chapter 1

CrookedTail padded through the forest, Midnight, PineSap, Flare, ToadFoot, and Birch following him.
He led his patrol through the dense trees and opened his jaws to taste for prey scents.
Nothing. CrookedTail scuffed his paws against the snow-covered forest floor.
CrookedTail faced his patrol. "Split up and look for any sign of movement or prey scents." He ordered. The patrol exchanged glances and nodded, each splitting into groups and making their way off in different directions. CrookedTail got stuck with Midnight. He didn't particularly like her but was willing to hunt with her if given no complications.

The young black cat was honored and respected by many. She was a prophet and had fought alongside PeaceLeaf and the spirit cats of heaven against DeathBlood cats and hell demons themselves. Midnight was gifted special abilities to help her in the battle which was proven useful as the demons were sent back to hell and peace was among the forest once more.

CrookedTail stalked through dense undergrowth, beckoning Midnight with his tail to follow. Skirting a tree and leaping over a stream, he strained his ears to listen for any scuffles among the roots of the trees and lifted his head to taste the air. A strong scent of a mouse clung in the air. Midnight scented it as well because she halted behind him. A rustle sounded among a small fern and CrookedTail could just make out its small brown body. He crouched down and set his paws down lightly as he could, flattening his ears before bunching his muscles and springing into the fern, digging his claws into the mouse's tiny body and sinking his jaws in the back of its neck.

Midnight purred happily. "Great catch!" Her whiskers quivered happily and she flicked her tail, gazing at him with a friendly green gaze. CrookedTail flicked his ear and set down the prey. "Why don't you go hunt with the others Midnight? I'd prefer to hunt alone today." The black she-cat cocked her head to one side. "You told us to hunt in groups. Why hunt alone? I'd like to help-" Her voice was abruptly cut off.

"No," CrookedTail growled. "Go hunt with Flare and ToadFoot. I saw them heading towards the stream near the end of the forest."
The tabby's demeanor was sudden and his change of mood confused Midnight. She wanted to argue with him but the PeaceLeaf Guardian, The leader of PeaceLeaf forest assigned CrookedTail to lead this patrol. Reluctantly, Midnight turned tail and bounded across the forest floor, about to head down a small ravine but she suddenly halted, her paws skirting the dirt. She felt the urge to go and spy on CrookedTail. The tomcat never insisted on hunting alone while on a patrol.

There was always a feeling Midnight got around CrookedTail. It was a feeling of darkness. The brown tabby was usually independent and somewhat snappy but the way he glared at some of the other cats sent a shiver down her spine. One day in camp, not long ago, Midnight had been feasting on a blackbird with her mate, Leandro, and saw CrookedTail crouched at the edge of the clearing, a half-eaten shrew under his paws. His glare was focused on PaleMoon, a sandy-colored she-cat. PaleMoon was close with Hawk, Midnight's friend, a cat she'd met when she'd lived in DeathBlood Forest. Hawk had turned out to be a good, honorable cat and she had watched Pine and Flare, Ember's kittens, after Ember had been slaughtered by a DeathBlood cat. Now Hawk always padded alongside PaleMoon. Hawk had privately told her that her feelings for PaleMoon were more than an average friendship. Midnight had suspected as much. Even some of the cats that lived in the camp eyed the two female cats with a look of curiosity. None of them looked at the two with disapproval and disgust like CrookedTail did.                                                  CrookedTail looked at a lot of cats with disgust and disapproval. He and his brother, Crow, a gray tomcat would quarrel a lot. Midnight picked up a lot of tension between the two brothers. She even remembered a day, the two physically fought in front of all the other cats, clawing at each other's pelts.
According to some of the other cats that lived in the camp with Midnight, CrookedTail had fallen out of a tree when he was younger, fracturing his tail in several places. Others had told her the accident traumatized him and made him despise himself and others as some would eye him with pity and CrookedTail was said to be bullied due to the weird zigzag angles his tail was positioned in.