Guild Wars

~ Guild Wars: Chapter 17 ~

Rust hurried through the forest, his paws sending up clouds of dirt.

"Careful! You're gonna get a stick in your eye!"

Rust looked over his shoulder. Peril was yanking Ioclaw away from the trees, trying to set her on a clear path. He skidded to a halt and turned around. Ioclaw wriggled free from Peril's grasp and glared at her angrily.

"I'm not a kit anymore!" she snapped. "And you're not my mom. I can take care of myself."

She shook out her paw, getting rid of clumps of dirt and a twig that was stuck in between her claws. Peril rolled her eyes. "So-ree," she growled. "I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Well I don't need that!"

"Quit bickering!" Rust ordered. "We've gotta get going. We only have until sunset, then we have to leave."

Peril and Ioclaw exchanged a look, then nodded and joined Rust on either side.

"Okay, let's go," Peril meowed.

Rust took the lead again, breaking into a run the moment he could. Ioclaw and Peril were hard on his paws. Soon, the structure came into view. Rust stopped outside of it, letting out a breath of relief. "We're here."

Ioclaw and Peril stopped beside him.

"Wow, it's so much bigger than I thought it would be," Ioclaw breathed. "Where are the kits?"

"Inside," Rust told her. "Come on."

He led them inside, looking around for his mate. "Carter?"

"Rust?"

The voice that came back wasn't Carter's, but it made him almost just as happy. "Cloud!"

Cloud, Olive, Winter, Snowflake, Lynx, and Soda rushed over to him, purring happily.

"We were wondering when you'd show up," Olive told him, her voice as quiet as it had been since CC died.

"Who are they?" Soda asked.

"This is Ioclaw and Peril," Rust told them. "They're my friends."

"Are they the ones you talk about all the time?" Snowflake asked, her eyes wide.

Rust nodded. A huge smile spread across Ioclaw's face. "Oh, they're so cute! What are their names?"

The kits introduced themselves to her, Ioclaw looked as though she were about to burst with joy. "How old are you?"

"Seven months," Soda told her. "Well, they are. I'm eight months."

Ioclaw scrunched up her face happily. Rust leaned over to her. "Are you okay?" he whispered good-humoredly.

"Fine," Ioclaw whispered through gritted teeth. "Oh, Rust, I love them! Carter's so lucky!"

"What about Carter?"

Rust whirled around and saw Koi standing in the entrance.

"Hi Koi," he mewed. "It's great to see you. Do you know where Carter is? I was hoping to see him."

"Carter's on his way," Koi said. "I've actually been meaning to talk to you."

Oh no. If Koi needed to talk to him, it must have something to do with the kits. Was she mad because he brought his friends? Carter had given him permission to do so, but maybe he hadn't talked it over with Koi so she had no idea. Maybe-

Koi took a deep breath, then spoke. "I want to go to war."

The three friends widened their eyes. "What?" they mewed in unison, Soda and Cloud's voice joining in.