Call to the Wild

[32]

Rosemary yawned, blinking awake to the dawn light. She sat up in her nest and stretched. She padded outside. No one was up this early, except Lion, who was put on guard duty. But, she then saw a slinking shadow in ther ferns.

Thunder.

Where was he going? She watched his icy-blue eyes dart toward Lion, and she pretended she didn't see him as his eyes rested on her. The eyes disappeared, followed with a bit of rustling. Lion barely even noticed the noise. She then decided to follow him herself. She crouched and slinked through the undergrowth, following Thunder silently. He didn't even know she was there! 

Thunder then stopped at a sandy clearing. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interupted by yowl from the camp. She and Thunder whipped around, and Thunder raced back to camp. Rosemary waited for a while until racing after him. Back at camp, Willow lay in the clearing, choking, while Mist was yowling in fear. "What is wrong with her?!?!" Mist shrieked. There was already a crowd of cats in the clearing. 

"Is she..dying?" 

"Oh no! I think she is!" 

"If she dies, Mist is gonna kill herself.."

"Blaze would be sad."

"Shhh! Remember Blaze isn't her mate anymore?" 

"But-"

"Shush! Rosemary is Blaze's mate, not Mist." 

"I knowwwww."

"Hmmph."

Rosemary turned her attention back to Willow. Snowflake then raced out of the medicine den, carrying herbs, but it was too late. Willow was gone. Mist shrieked again, and collapsed on the ground, panting. "It was my fault." Mist whimpered, "I should of known Willow's greencough was actually getting worse."  

_____

After Mist calmed down, she went into the medicine den, to get some poppy seeds for shock. She then took a nap in the nursery. And, greencough was still spreading. Before Willow had died, she had spread the sickness to Lavender. Rosemary feared she would get greencough, because she had stuck to Lavender before they found out she was sick.

Rosemary was in her den now, resting. It was now sundown, and everyone was going to their nests soon. She watched Thunder's gray pelt disappear into the apprentice's den. Why had he been sneaking out earlier? She would find out soon.
_____

Rosemary purred as the human stroked her head. She knew it was a human, not a fur-head, and she knew she belonged here. Wait-wasn't she a leader? But she was happy here, and her mother was here! She was sitting on the couch with her human. Maple then sat with her, grooming her.

This felt good, but she missed her clan. This is what she was afraid of! She suddenly jerked away from Maple, running out the cat-flap. She suddenly saw Maple, Lavender, and Thistle chasing her as she ran toward the forest.

"COME BACK." Maple snarled, "COME BACK." Rosemary quickened her pace, "NO! I don't belong here! This is what the prophecy was telly me! To rememeber the call of the wild!" She yowled. "NO, COME BACK." Lavender hissed, "STAY WITH US AND WE WILL BE HAPPY TOGETHERRRR!" Rosemary ignored her, but she could feel fear creep up her as she glanced at them.

Their eyes were no longer the happy, sparkling eyes Rosemary was used to, instead the had been smeared black and the were running with creepy smiles."YOU WON'T ESCAPE!" Thistle yowled as she jumped over the fence, and they skidded to a stop. They couldn't go past the fence. "WE'LL FIND YOU!" Thistle warned, then he, Lavender, and Maple raced back to the house.