Born Wild

Chapter 2

"We need to find shelter now. I think our best choice is to go over the moors?" Drizzle meowed. Shade nodded, while Swiff looked a little more sceptical.

"Seriously? I mean, it's not like I'm scared or anything, going over the moors, but... we grew up here." Swiff looked a little nervous to leave his housefolk, and jumped at the slightest sounds. Shade rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, you're still scared, Swiff? Of course it'll have sentimental value to you - and all of us - but we need to leave! That ground-quaking thing is dangerous, unless you want to stay here?" She growled. Swiff's neck fur bristled a little, but he shook his head and padded away.

"So where do you suggest we go?" Misty asked, thrusting forward. 

Drizzle shrank back into her fur as she admitted, "I... I'm not sure."

Dash bolted up eagerly."I heard that there's some wild cats - a group - who live on the moors. Maybe we can find them?" She suggested. Drizzle glanced at Shade, who nodded. Drizzle smiled.

"Dash, we're going there. Now, what direction is this group in?" Drizzle asked. Dash immediately pointed her tail to the North-South direction and the group of cats headed off.

"Arghhh... I'm so tired..." Sunrise complained. Normally she wouldn't be like this, but Drizzle had to admit it was tiring for herself as well. 

So she nodded curtly and mewed, "We'll rest here. All in favour?" Everycat yowled agreement in unison at once, and they settled down near a heather bush.

Suddenly, a voice came from the distance. "Come on, Birch... you can do it..." The voice kept repeating something to a cat named Birch. Drizzle and Shade looked at each other, nodded and Drizzle told Misty to keep the other cats safe before they went off to investigate the source of the sound.

Turned out, two cats were alone and also on the moors. Shade immediately noticed that one of the cats, presumably Birch, had a broken leg.

"I've learnt some tricks at the Cutter before. May I help?" She offered. The other tom, a mottled brown tabby, stared at her quizzically but stepped aside. While Shade was fixing Birch's leg, Drizzle started to converse with the other tom.

"So, umm... What's your name?" Drizzle asked awkwardly. 

The tom shrugged like he didn't care and mewed, "I'm Leaf. What's yours then? You don't look fit to be on the moors."

Drizzle dipped her head. "I'm Drizzle. And you're right, we shouldn't be here. You see, this random ground-quaking thing happened, so my friends and I had to leave our Upwalkers' den. Why are you here then?" She explained, then questioned. 

Leaf looked affronted. "Other than the Upwalker thing, same! I've always been a loner," He mewed. 

Just at that moment, Shade exclaimed, "I'm done! Birch just needs to rest and not too many strength-consuming exercises and he's good."

Leaf dipped his head to the dark grey she-cat. "Many thanks for helping my brother. We'll need to leave now. Birch?" 

The brown tabby tom paused for a moment, then piped up, "Can Drizzle and Shade's..." He paused, thinking of the word. "Group come to stay with us? Shade was so helpful, and we can teach them to live on the moors like we do!"

Leaf hissed exasperatedly. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he owed a favour to Shade's group - Shade especially - for helping his brother. Eventually, he relented begrudgingly.

"Fine. Fetch your cats and meet here, Shade. Drizzle, let's hunt together first," He instructed. Shade gave him a puzzled look, but headed off swiftly. As Drizzle watched her go, Leaf mewed gruffly, "Well? What are you waiting for?"

Drizzle shook his head and headed off with Leaf. "First thing you need to know in hunting is the hunting crouch. Try to copy me?" Leaf dropped into the hunting crouch position, while Drizzle tried to follow after him. After a while, Leaf sighed in annoyance and growled, "You can't even do a simple hunting crouch! How are you going to hunt, if the prey would have run away by now?"

Drizzle's neck fur raised irritatedly, and her tail fur also started bristling. "This is my first time, okay? I'm not you!" She argued. Leaf narrowed his eyes.

"I'm the teacher here. You listen to me, alright!" Leaf shouted. Drizzle hissed. "You're not the boss here. Boss yourself around, sure, but you're not mine."

Mewing under his breath about things like 'insolence' and 'annoying', Leaf muttered, "Let's get back to them," Before slinking off into the heather. Drizzle sighed.

This life is going to be very complicated and eventful, I know.

Written and edited by Silverkit/wish