War - Battles of the Wild - The Darkened Moon

CHAPTER NINE: GRIFFARA

 "Hey, did you see Florence recently?" I asked Maya, walking up to her. She was walking with Atlas, in a conversation about the recent battles. "I already checked in the Medicine Den, and she wasn't there."

"Um, I'm not sure," replied Maya, casting a quick look around the camp, "Why do you want her?"

"I need to ask her something."

"Well, I'm sure I could help," she said, then glanced over my shoulder and smiled, "Huh. There she is!"

"Great, thanks!"

I took to the air and flew toward the small teal blue bird.

"Hi, Griffa!" said Florence, hovering in the air.

"Hey, could you come into my den for a second? I need to talk to you."

"Uh, okay."

There was a hint of worry in the Medic's voice, and I became more and more suspicious. I knew she was hiding something. You can't keep a secret from a Leader like me.

We swooped into the den, and I pulled the grass curtain over the entrance. I noticed Florence shuffling her feet nervously.

"So, what is it you want to talk about?" asked Florence.

I sighed, and turned to my old friend.

"Please, Florence... please, don't keep that secret from me anymore. I want to trust you, I really try, but I know you're not telling me the truth. I know you didn't come up with that cure on your own. I promise I won't be mad. I won't get upset. I just want to know how you got it, so I can stop worrying."

Florence was quiet for a very long time. I was just about to encourage her again, when she finally spoke.

"Clever Clan... I went to Clever Clan's Medic for help. I swear, I was doing it for the good of my clan. I didn't want to see so much death from a single disease again..."

It was my turn to be silent. That was actually a pretty brave thing for her to do. Going into enemy territory, risking her own life, for a cure to save her clanmates.

"Florence... I honestly think that was brave of you. I'm sorry I seemed so angry, I was just so worried, and I don't even know why anymore. Thanks for everything. But, I just have one question. Why did Clever Clan help you?"

The bird seemed to swell up with confidence after my compliment, and answered without any hesitation.

"They were running low on prey. It was pretty easy to get some. I just asked any random animal from Power Clan that came along to give me some of their catch."

"Well, in the end it worked out, didn't it," I said, happy with what my Medic had said, "I really do appreciate you telling me, and what you do for our clan."

With a smile, I dismissed Florence.

Now with that out of the way, I went to talk with my Warriors. I saw Luna laying around and looking kind of depressed, and I was about to walk up and try to cheer her up, when Dirtclaw appeared.

"Hey, how did the battle go last night?" asked Dirtclaw, walking up to the greyhound, "I couldn't come, my son needed help with Blackeye and the kits."

"Oh... We were ambushed," Luna said. I saw Dirtclaw notice the new wounds along her back and face, and I knew he was wondering who he would never see again. "It didn't work out too well, and we had to run. So, What's it like with the kits? Why did you have to stay?"

"Well, Poisoneye is pretty stupid, so I had to take him through EVERYTHING. It was annoying."

Luna laughed.

"Well, I bet you had fun with that. What are the new kits named? Do you know yet?"

"No, they are thinking hard, I guess."

Clan life is wonderful. Despite the war and everything we have been through, we can still cheer each other up. Even if we hate each other, we still fight side by side.

"Griffa! Griffa!" shouted Pandastripe, bursting into my den, "You have to come see this!"

"What is it?" I asked, instantly shaking off sleep and getting up.

"Follow me."

I trailed after the white and black striped cat, into the camp lit up by the bright full moon. All around, other animals were stumbling out of their dens to see what was going on.

"What is it you want me t- oh," that's when I saw it. A massive creature... glowing yellow eyes, a small head, small ears, thick legs, exactly how Alena described.

All around, the clan was whispering and pointing at the beast.

Then, just like that, it turned around and jumped back into the forest, and three little tails were the last thing I saw of it.

"Well, I'm not gonna sleep for about a week," said someone in the crowd. I think it was OJ.

I couldn't believe there was actually something like that. I lived my whole life on this side of the mountains. Even though I am a Griffon, which is usually seen as a monster, animals know what I am and know that I exist. But the other side of the mountains is said to have monsters beyond imagining. I never believed that the stories were true. Of course I believed that Alena had seen something, but I was sure it would be some out-of-clan dog or something.

I just hoped that there weren't anymore of those things. Of course, I was probably wrong.