The Tribe of Rotting Skulls (BOOK 1)

Chapter 9

~Kink's P.O.V.~

By now, the sun was coming up. I saw that Blood, Ivy, Stomp and Falcon were lying dead on the rock flooring. But something small and delicate caught my eye. Beside Blood's battered body was a small bundle of fur. It was white but a small brown stripe went down his back; I realized it was Blood's son, Whip.

Checking to see if any cat was in danger and needed help, I hurried over and stood over the dead tom and the small apprentice. Carefully picking the young tom up, I passed Scar and entered the nursery. Seeing that everyone was sleeping but Shell I slowly lowered Whip's body in beside Slash's.

Dipping my head to Shell I exited to nursery in search of any cat in need of me. I saw Fawn dealing with an apprentice, she seemed to look like she needed "saving". But before I could have gotten to her, Snake attacked the apprentice. 'Isn't he supposed to be protecting the prisoners?' I stalked to the den where they should be and I peeked in. Dovewing and Tigerheart were digging out. I decided not to alarm them and crept in.  

I slashed Tigerheart's flank and he spun around to see me. They gasped. "I told you this was a bad idea!" Dovewing muttered to her companion. I flicked one of my floppy ears. "I can still hear you two, you know!" I spat. Tigerheart hissed in annoyance and sat down. "Are you ever going to let us free?" He murmured. I shrugged, "For all I know," I took in a deep breathe and looked up with a smile on my face and meowed, "no." They groaned, all hope from their faces drained to blank.

"Sorry for your luck, but if you weren't 'mating' out in a clearing, maybe you wouldn't have been caught," I teased. They were only talking, from what we saw anyway. Dovewing gasped and Tigerheart growled in anger. "We were only talking!" He protested, baring his teeth. "Whatever you say, matey." I sneered.  

Padding out and standing in front of the den, I watched closely for any cats stalking towards me. I turned around and poked my head in, seeing that they were digging again. "And you guys are only going to dig down to either rock or a plunge to your death." I notified them.  

Turning back to the fighting cats and watched a Fawn and Snake work together to kill the apprentice. Before I could even watch a heartbeat or two of it, I was knocked over. My head slammed into the rock and I touched my head delicately. A warm liquid had begun to well up out of the gash and I shook my head. Standing back up, I was knocked over again and again I hit my head on the ground. The world went into a swirl of blurry images and I was sent to a black world.

* * * * *  

~Venom's P.O.V.~

Just as we got to the trail, cats came pelting down. Some even with the injured and dead. I watched them run until I heard a cat skid to a stop, making me turn, and Claw puffed, "Hurry up, they got the prisoners!" I rolled my eyes, 'I just spent my day fighting, saving Beetle, learning how to swim the hard way and running back here. I have no energy to do anything,' I grunted. Nodding to Claw I dashed into the group of cats, nearly tripping myself over my paws as I picked up my pace.  

As I pushed on, I felt my muscles burn and the bushes in WindClan's territory whizzed by. I lowered my head and ran on. I growled as I saw Dovewing turn her head. 'Dovewing? She escaped?' Her eyes grew as wide as an owls and turned her head back to the front and ran faster.

I dashed for her and once I got close enough to attack, I unsheathed my claws. I bashed her back leg and pushed her flank the opposite way of the cats that were running in a group. More like a herd, actually. Just like the sheep that shared her territory.

Stopping to take a breather, I looked up and saw Dovewing laying in front of a boulder. 'Is she dead?' I wondered. Finally, I caught my breath and I padded up to her body. Her flank was still rising and falling but she seemed to be out; out cold. I prodded her with a paw. She didn't reply by anything to tell me she was awake. I picked her up by her scruff and dragged her through the bushes. I peeked a glance back at the group and I saw a few of them had halted.