Blood and Snow

Odessa's War ~Exclusive~

   Her tail curled tightly around the mewling kits as the other kit-watchers left the nursery to attend the meeting.

"Make sure none of the kits leave the den, Odessa. They can't disturb a meeting as important as this." a kit-watcher named Fallow informed her. Odessa nodded.

"Okay. They won't leave my sight," she replied. Fallow smiled and left the den with the others, leaving Odessa alone. A little orange tabby she-kit put her two tiny white paws on Odessa's back leg.

"Are cats going to fight?" she asked nervously. Odessa licked the she-kit's head.

"Maybe, but we will all be safe in here. No cat can get past our group," she reassured the tiny bundle. Some of the bigger kits charged up to Odessa, eyes shining.

"Can we fight?"

"Yeah! Can we? I can beat any of my littermates in a fight! Surely I can beat any cat!"

"I wanna fight too!"

Odessa chuckled. "No kits, we have to stay in here. If you snuck out we would have to put back your ceremony until you are older." the kits looked at her, eyes wide with alarm. "But, you can guard the nursery for me, just don't leave the den." they all smiled and charged to the entrance where they stopped and looked up and down the tunnels for any invading cats.

A few moments later, she heard a loud yowl come from the meeting room. Alarm sparked through her calico pelt. I hope no one got hurt! She got up and peered down the tunnels and saw cats charging back up. Determination shined in their eyes. Fallow then made her way into the den.

"Odessa, you need to go with them and practice" she panted. "I'm too old, I need you to take my place." Oddessa went rigid with fear but nodded and scooted out of the den. She quickly fell beside Jinx.

"What's the plan?" she asked.

"We are going to surround their camp and send a team in the middle while they're trapped," he told her. Oddessa glared at him.

"But right now we are going to train."

With everyone? That's strange.

"Wait, what happens when they are in the middle? Are we just going to kill them all?" she asked. Jinx just shrugged. "The team from the middle would be surrounded by enemies. And how would they get to the middle around all of the cats?"

"He didn't specify that," Jinx replied. "But I wonder what he is planning." Odessa gulped.

I don't want them to die! No matter how awful they are! The entire colony made it out into the bright sunlight. She then saw Orchid and Carmen a little up ahead separated from the group. They looked as if they were arguing.

"Come on, let's go see what is going on then we can come back." she meowed to Jinx. He nodded and butted Nightmare with his head to go forward. He quickly told the black tom the plan and then left the group and jogged ahead to where the two she-cats were.

"You can't go look for her!" Orchid shrieked. "She is probably just out for a stroll!"

"But Mossy told me she never came back! They may have taken her!" Carmen wailed. The heather she-cat sprinted off and away from the group. Orchid watched her hopelessly. The group of friends watched with worry and then turned back to the colony. Orchid told them not to worry and that she would probably be back by sundown. It still bugged Odessa, though.

For the rest of the day, Odessa and the others trained and trained. By the time they were done, exhaustion hung at her pelt. She could hardly walk. How does Shrike expect us to fight tomorrow night?

She collapsed in her nest. The kits surrounded her and asked questions about what happened and to show them some battle moves, but Fallow quickly scooted them away from her so she could sleep.

As morning came, preparations began. Cats began to sharpen their claws and give battle advice. Though, Carmen had not returned yet. Worry pricked at her pelt. I hope she is okay. Orchid had already gone out earlier and was scouting out the camp with a couple of the other spies. Jinx was making sure the caves were secure in case they were invaded and Nightmare was collecting herbs and making sure they were well-stocked on everything.

Odessa wished that Shrike could have handled this disagreement with peace, but it was too late for that now. As night came, The Horizons soon left. The group walked with no talking. Nobody cared to make a noise. Though Odessa could smell fear-scent in the air, she wasn't sure if it was her own or somebody else's.

The scent of cats grew stronger and stronger, and then they were there. Through the trees, she could see multiple cats, but hardly enough to be of any disturbance. They looked well-fed and joyful. Probably full of our prey. She had to admit that the Horizons had no problem with food either. Soon the command came and Odessa leaped into the heat of battle.

She butted a young tom and forced him to the center of their camp. She didn't want to hurt anyone unless she had to. Soon enough a large black she-cat got her from behind. The black she-cat scratched her back and grabbed Odessa's scruff with her jaws. Sharp teeth pierced her skin. With a yowl, Odessa tried to scramble out of her grip. She managed to claw the she-cat's flank, but it didn't slow her down. The black cat had pinned her and was trying to get a grip on her throat. Odessa used her back legs to scratch the she-cat's stomach. She knew that she couldn't throw her off for the she-cat was much too heavy for her.

The she-cat screeched in pain and flung herself off of Odessa. She quickly scrambled up, and as she did, the she-cat threw herself on her again. The two she-cats scrambled for a while. They were a flurry of claws, teeth, and fur. Soon, Odessa was pinned again. The she-cat had immobilized her back legs with her paws and was about to bite down on her throat. Odessa watched helplessly as her death soon came.

Suddenly, all the weight on top of her was lifted off. She saw that Jinx had pushed the she-cat off of her. Flashing him a smile, she lept back into the battle. Her blood was now pumping with fury. She pushed the cats to the center and got a few scratches, but retaliated with even nastier wounds. Just as it started, the battle stopped. Odessa looked around which she wish she hadn't.

All the cats that they were fighting were limp on the ground. Soon the others also caught on. Wailing raised in the air as the Horizons realized what they had done. In the corner of her eye, she saw Shrike, smiling.