WARRIORS: THE STORM AHEAD

Chapter 4

Barktail landed splat on the dirt with Fox right in front of him.

"Okay Fox, what are you going to tell me right here near Clan territory in the middle of the night?" Barktail mewed, shaking leaves from his pelt.

Fox laughed. "I see you found my way through the trees."
Then the stray walked right over the Clan scent marks. She waited for Barktail to do the same.

Barktail cautiously stepped over the invisible border, terrified. "Fox.. what if the Clan cats catch us?"

Fox snorted. "They're probably all asleep. Now I will show you the interesting stuff."
The ginger cat led him through marsh and reeds until they got to a clearing. And that's when Barktail saw it.

On front of Barktail stood more water then he had ever seen in his life. He dipped his paw in, and he found out that the body of water was very deep. He shivered when a scaly figure hit him.

Fish? Is that what they call them?

Only then did Barktail realize that there was the scent of water mixed with musk and fish all around him. It had been there ever since Barktail had crossed the invisible border.

Fox hit the water, droplets splashing onto Barktail's pelt. Her head came back up, and she motioned Barktail to get in with her.

Without thinking, Barktail flopped in. Suddenly he was squirming for the surface painfully slowly, and he was already running out of breath. Then an orange paw dipped into the water, Barktail grabbed onto it.

Suddenly Barktail's head was above the water, gasping for breath. Fox was right beside him, propping the tom up.
"Fox, I think we should get away from here." Barktail said as another slimy fish brushed his wet fur.

Fox stared at him. "It's just that.. I think it's unfair. Why do the Clans get all this? And even more, why did The Strays refuse to fight?"

Barktail gulped. "Fox, didn't you see how many Clan cats there are? All the strays would be destroyed before you could say 'mouse'."

"You can leave if you want." Fox grumbled. Barktail was starting to realize she was turning to her aggressive self.
Then he realized, Fox wasn't acting like herself until now.
Maybe she just wanted to go to the water body to have some fun and forget about Snowflower. And she sent me a path through the trees just so she could feel joy seeing me fall.

Then Barktail wondered, why did Fox have to pass on Clan territory just to have fun?
The tom looked up at the sky.
Night! Clan cats aren't around at night!
Then the sky began to turn orange.
The sun was coming up.

Barktail tried to speed to the shore, but then he realized he still couldn't swim.
"Fox! Fox!" he yowled desperately. He didn't want to get trapped with Clan cats.

Fox splashed toward him and carried him to shore as fast as she could. Barktail watched in dismay as cats were already coming out of the trees.

When they got to the sandy ground, one of the cats called out.
"Rogues!"

Barktail and Fox scrabbled on the grass and ran as fast as they could back to the stray camp. The Clan cats were following them, claws unsheathed.

Once the strays had reached horseplace, the Clan cats were watching as they left.
Fox suddenly whipped around and hissed at their faces. "Don't follow us. This is a warning."

Then, a smaller cat swiped Fox right in the eye. Fox snarled and clawed at the sand cat, blood pouring out onto the grass. The cat squirmed out and ran for the older cats, who looked very confused.

"Fox...you shouldn't have done that." Barktail croaked.
"She started it." Fox growled. "Let's get back to camp.