Warriors #1 - The Phantom Menace (currently editing!)

The Slave

"And Heatherstar, has she agreed to the terms?" Lightningstrike hissed at the leader of the Trade Federation.

Direstar didn't meet the white cat's eyes.

"She has disappeared, my lord." he mewed in a small voice.

"My Mutts tell me that a Jarra escaped Clan Mossflower during the invasion."

"You dungbrain!" Lightningstrike spat at him.

"Once she's out of her territory, it will be difficult to track her location!"

There was a series of hushed apologizing from the Nemodian cats.

And Direstar cringed as the lord of Darkhaven hurled another series of insults at him.

"Whatever should we do, O-wise-one?" he whispered at last after the white cat finished yowling at him, trembling from paw to tail.

"Watch and learn, you brainless oaf." Lightningstrike snarled scathingly.

A second Darkhavener appeared in the smoke.

He was a red and black tabby with jagged horns on top of his head and smoldering orange eyes that reminded Direstar of a forest fire.

"This is Bloodburn, my apprentice." Lightningstrike hissed.

"Unlike you, he does his job right."

The Dark lord's smoky form melted away once again into swirling mist, and a ringing silence fell upon the room.

"This is getting out of hand," Direstar muttered after a while, deeply regretting his bargain with the Darkhavener.

"Now, there are two of them!"

Blueflash landed on the sand, wriggling his talons in the warm, gritty stuff before sitting down.

"Thisa sunlight doing merrder to meesa skin," Hareflop complained, reluctantly placing a webbed paw on the surface.

Sagepelt leaped down from Blueflash's back, scanning the clearing warily.

"There are so many different cats." Hazelpaw sounded amazed.

It was true, the small caves on the surface of the crags were lively with chatter from the merchants and loners.

"These are one of the few places that are havens for those who wish to stay hidden." Heatherstar mewed.

"This place is nice enough, except that they allow slavery." the Dawnclan knight's expression darkened, and his claws furled and unfurled in the sand.

"We'll need a safe place to stay the night," Hazelpaw said, looking up at the darkening sky.

"And food," Hareflop added, his belly growling.

"Let's ask one of the natives."

"Come on, Blueflash," Hazelpaw nudged the Jarra to its feet, which squawked unhappily before following them.

"Good day to you." Hazelpaw mewed politely at a winged cat with leathery blue skin.

"What do you want?" it growled back, flapping rather ungraciously down from the withered old tree where it had been resting.

"We need a place where we can stay the night." he flicked his tail.

The blue cat glanced back at Hazelpaw's shoulder.

"Ain't no way that turkey of yours is going in my den." he hissed.

"Jarra." Hazelpaw corrected him when Blueflash ruffled his feathers, looking very insulted.