Beyond the Mountains | A Warrior Cats Fanfiction

꧁ ✧ Chapter 3 ✧ ꧂

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Dandelion had been silent while eating the eagle and the day-long journey to find somewhere new. They had trekked through the mountains for hours on end. She had caught a mountain hare, and Dandelion had caught a shrew. They kept the shrew for later, carrying it until they got into eagle territory to use as bait. The breeze blew their fur the wrong way, and dandelion turned to her.

"I'm sorry for behaving like that to Branch. I... I know you like or liked him..." He looked at his paws as they continued along a Rocky path winding down a mountain.

"It's just... they can't banish us and then expect us to still want to be friends... "

"No, I... I haven't liked him for a long time. You were... you were right to act like that. He needed to know this isn't a joke. It's our life on the line. You... you did the right thing... just... I just wasn't expecting it... from you."

Dandelion looked at her, his amber eyes warm like sunlight on water.

"Yes, I know, it wasn't like me but... he... they..." he stammered as he was lost in emotion.

"They had to know; I know." She spoke for him, and he blinked at her and nodded.

They padded onwards in silence, small rocks crumbling under their feet as they trekked across the mountainscape. They were looking for a place to stay the night, as the stars weakly blinked in the darkening sky, which was turning a scarlet blue, with iron-grey clouds stalking from the horizon. The distant rolling of thunder shattered the silence, as rain started tapping a hollow song on stone. After going further down the mountain, they approached a forest. They entered; tails entwined in fear of the dark trunks looming over them. After walking for a while, avoiding stinking badger holes, they crawled into a shallow hollow under some rocks, digging slightly to make enough room for the both of them. They curled together, and quietly shared tongues, reviving old memories of before.

꧁✧꧂

Willow started awake, and her fur rose. She must have dosed off. She looked at Dandelion and saw his bright, wide, and terrified eyes staring at the mouth of the hollow. He laid his tail along her spine, and she felt her skin prickle.

What was he looking at? What had he seen or heard? Why am I on edge? Her questions were answered by a loud thump as two great grey paws thumped down from the top of the mound. They heard the heavy inhaling of a huge, much larger... cat. Lightning flashed and lit up the sky, and they saw the muscular rocky grey pelt of Sharptooth. Rain pattered outside, dripping from the entrance. They knew it was too dark in the tunnel for it to possibly see them... right? They edged to the back of the tunnel until fur brushed fur on dirt.

A chin appeared at the entrance. A mouth. Whiskers. Eyes. The mountain lion gave a huge sniff, and its pupils dilated. It turned away, and she heard the paw steps recede into nothing other than the heavy rain. A small stream trickled into the tunnel, and they stood up. Willow crept forward, sniffing warily, and flinching from every larger raindrop plop. The rain pounded harder, and she turned back to Dandelion, when she realised he had been signalling her to come back.

"I think it's gone.'' She whispered, and visibly relaxed. Dandelion padded forward. Willow took a step outside, when a huge, snarling lump of muscle landed on her, knocking the breath out of her. She buckled under the huge weight, and Dandelion shot back, screeching in surprise. But as soon as he gained his footing he pushed himself off the wall and flung himself at the Sharptooth with a caterwaul. He couldn't budge the huge beast, but it distracted it enough for Willow to struggle from its grip. She screeched as its talon-like claws ripped along the side of her spine. She staggered away, turning around, to see the Sharptooth gripping onto Dandelion's leg, and he screeched furiously, clawing at its eyes. It's claws tore at his chest. She galloped forward, her fur standing on end in adrenaline and anger. She unleashed herself on it, a flurry of claws and teeth. It released Dandelion and chased her around the clearing. She could see in the corner of her eye Dandelion limping and struggling into a bush.