Born Wild

Prologue

The last rays of the dying sun shone across the moor, reflecting in a pond. A mottled brown tabby tom trotted past it, stopping from time to time to search the newleaf breeze for prey scents. He soon picked up a hare's, and dropped into the hunting crouch, following the scent in an attempt to find the creature. It didn't take long for him to get it; the creature was standing mere fox-lengths away and chewing on some sort of plant: Distracted.

The tom licked his lips, the fresh prey scent making his mouth water. He slowly approached it, leaving the cover of the heather given to him only when he was close enough to pounce. He skillfully landed on the terrified animal, killing it with a swift, precise blow.

Leaf — as the tom called himself — picked up his catch , satisfaction rippling through his pelt. Should I go back now? He wondered, glancing up at the sun. Dusk's coming. He looked at the sky for a heartbeat, before focusing his gaze onto the reflection in the pond. No. There's still enough light left. I can go back once it's dark.

He paced around the pond, looking for the perfect spot to bury the hare. The animal flew out of his jaws suddenly as a sudden, forceful shake of the ground unbalanced him. What's going on? He asked himself, aware that he had no answer.

Gradually, the rumbling became even more pronounced and forceful, forcing Leaf to spread out his paws to keep as steady as possible. He instinctively turned to the abandoned burrow he lived in, horror gripping his heart as he heard rocks crashing down in that direction. The burrow! It'll soon be destroyed!

But losing his home wasn't his worst fear. There was something way more valuable than that would disappear with. The only cat he knew. The only cat he cared for. The only cat he lived with. Leaf's only kin.

His brother, Birch.

Leaf sprinted down the slope to the Burrow, the now violently shaking ground making him fall over at every step. But he didn't care — he had to make sure his brother was safe. When he finally reached the Burrow, he was shocked to see it in ruins. This strange rumbling must have done this! He looked around, searching for the familiar tabby pelt of Birch, which was nowhere to be found.

"Birch!" he yelled, "Birch, where are you?"

"I'm here, Leaf!" Leaf heard Birch call over the noise caused by the rumbling. Running over to the mewl's source, the mottled tom found his brother stuck under a massive branch.

"I'll help you get out!" Leaf shouted. He tugged on the branch, which barely moved an inch.

"The Burrow's gone! Leaf, what's going on?" Birch's voice was edged with panic. Leaf, struggling, forced out, "I don't know, Birch! But we have to get you out of here! We must escape while we can!"

"It's no use," Birch meowed. "Get out of here before a branch crushes you too." Leaf widened his eyes as he realised what his brother was implying. "No way! I'm not leaving you here all alone." Twigs were falling all around them, and smaller branches too. The brothers were slowly getting increasingly desperate.

"But-" A loud snapping sound interrupted Birch, and another big branch right above the two came crashing down to the earth. It collided with the first one, breaking it and almost completely freeing him. He let out a yowl as the hard wood fell onto his leg, trapping him even more than it already was — though the rest of his body was free.

"Hold on for a bit longer, Birch! I'm almost getting you outta here," Leaf said. He pushed his brother's leg from beneath the branches, freeing him. "Can you use it?"

"No, I think it's broken..."

"Lean on me, then," Leaf instructed. He glanced at their old home — which was now nothing more than a mountain of rubble in the earth — then up to the upwalkers' camp at the moor's edge.

"Come on, Birch! We need to find shelter!"

Written by Mothfrost and edited by Silverkit/wish