Ashwings legacy

Chapter 17

   Owlnose licked his paw and brushed it over his ear. His pelt was filthy from being dragged through the forest. He'd been kidnapped by cats from Alphas pack and only woke up a few hours ago. Now he sat in a small cave, the entrance blocked by brambles, mad at himself for letting this happen. Stupid twoleg stench... I couldn't scent them at all!
He scraped the stone beneath him out of anger. He took a breath and went back to grooming himself, after all it's not like he had much else to do. After he was done cleaning the dirt from his fur, he walked up to the thorn barrier and tried to look through the gaps. He watched as cats sat alone or in small groups. They seemed constantly on edge, always glancing around and keeping their ears perked. A camp is where cats should be able to relax and let their guard down, so why were all of them so anxious?
A voice caught his attention. "You already ate! That mouse is mine!" He turned his gaze towards the center of camp, where a skinny, wiry tom with a silver pelt was bearing his teeth at a taller, tan furred she cat. Wait, I know her...
It was Shay again, the same cat who had been with Beta when she fought Ashwing in Kades camp. Shay glared at the tom before responding. "I am your superior, thus I am entitled to more food..." She said with a low growl.
The tom unsheathed his claws. "My superior huh? Maybe it's time to change that..."
Owlnose felt his pulse quicken. Was a fight really about to break out in the middle of camp? He looked around and realized no other cat seemed interested in what was happening. Was this a common occurrence? He turned his attention back to the conflict and saw Shay drop to a defensive stance, ready to fight. She didn't get the chance however, as Beta padded toward them, radiating an intense level of authority. "Is there a problem here?" She said coldly.
Both the other cats immediately shrunk back, sheathing their claws and folding their ears back. Owlnose guessed that they didn't want to seem challenging at all, which is fair considering what she did to Ashwing, who is a trained warrior. Shes second in command for a reason I guess... He thought to himself.
"Breeze thought he deserved pray that is rightfully mine..." Shay said, keeping her head bowed to Beta, who eyed her coldly.
Breeze tried to rebuttal as his voice trembled. "S-She already ate today! I haven't eaten since yesterday, I-I should get that prey right? R-right?" He looked up at her with pleading, desperate eyes.
   Betas gaze shifted from each of them. She took a step forward. "Since you two can't come to a solution yourselves, I'll do it for you." She says as she leans down, picking up the mouse by the tail. "Now neither of you gets it. If you want more food, or any food at all, go hunt for it yourself."
   Beta turned away and the other two glared angrily at eachother before going their separate ways. Owlnose was impressed, but also concerned with how Beta handled the situation. The way the other cats were so scared of her was foreign to him. This group wasn't lead through respect like the clans were, it was lead through fear. He was pulled from his thoughts as he heard Betas voice. She was staring at him through the bramble barrier. "Here. Food."
   She put the mouse down and pushed it between the brambles to his side. He looked down at it then up at her in confusion. "Thanks... I guess..." he says skeptically.
   Beta dips her head. "Are you thirsty?"
   "Yea..."
   "I'll be back shortly with some soaked moss you can drink from."
   With that, she turned away. Owlnose was a little shocked at the deputy's sudden hospitality. He didn't trust her. This wouldn't change that, but he was curious at to what her goal was. She returned a while later with a moss ball soaked in water. She pushed it through one of the gaps and  turned to leave without a word, but Owlnose stopped her. "Wait... I want to talk to you."
   She stopped, turning her head to face him.
"Why are you taking care of me? I'm supposed to be a captive right? And why you of all cats, why not get one of your lackeys to do it?" He asked.
   Betas face didn't change. "As hard is it may be to believe, I still have a heart."
   She started walking again, not letting Owlnose respond. What does that mean? He thought to himself.
   Beta was an interesting cat. She was shrouded in mystery, and it seemed like every interaction with her gave more questions than answers.

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   After eating and drinking, Owlnose did nothing until the sun went down. He curled up on the cold stone, as he wasn't given a nest to sleep in, and tried to fall asleep. After a while of tossing and turning, he heard a whisper from the entrance of the cave. "Hey, clan cat."
   He groaned and opened his eyes, forcing himself to his paws and walking over to the bramble barrier. He squinted his eyes against the darkness but was able to make out the silver gray pelt of Beta. "What do you want?" He said, not bothering to hide his irritation.
"Do you want to get out of here?" She replied.
"What?"
"I'm leaving this place for good. I can take you with me, if that's what you want."
Owlnose was speechless. He struggled to process her words. "I don't... I don't understand..."
"I can get you out of here and take you back to your friends, but I need to know right now. There's no time for contemplation." She said, her gaze serious.
Of course he wanted to get out of here, but could he really trust her? "How do I know you're telling the truth? How can I trust you?" He challenged.
Beta softened her gaze, sighing softly. "Like I said, I still have a heart." She started, "I was pretty much born in to this group. I had no say in where I grew up. I was trained by Alpha, and became his beta. I've had that title for so long I've forgotten the name my father gave me..."
As she spoke, Owlnose saw emotion from the deputy for the first time ever. Genuine sadness.
"I had given up hope for a better life a long time ago. But meeting Ashwing, and seeing his resolve, sparked that hope inside of me again. He saved me. So now I want to save you."
Owlnose took a moment to process her words. I don't sense any deceit... but can I really trust her? He didn't know what to think. He hadn't forgotten the task that Alpha had put her up to. Is this part of some plan to lure Ashwing into an ambush? He couldn't be sure, but if there was a chance she was telling the truth, it could get him out of here. At the very least he'd be able to make a run for it and warn Ashwing. "Alright, I'll go with you."
Beta exhaled deeply, looking relieved. "Alright, give me a moment, I'll get you out of there." She said before carefully nipping at the thorned tendrils that blocked the entrance to the cave. Her ears suddenly pricked up, and she looked around. Owlnoses pulse quicked as he heard pawsteps coming closer. Beta cursed under her breath before whispering to him, "I'm sorry, I have to go now, but we will come back for you. You have my word."
Owlnose watched in shock as she bolted off, disappearing into the night. He saw some cats walking through camp and quickly moved to the back of the cave, curling up and feigning sleep. "He's asleep, just like I told you."
"Well, it's better to make sure right? Besides, Beta will appreciate that we checked on him and maybe she won't be mad at us anymore."
Owlnose recognized the voices. They were the cats who'd almost fought over the mouse Beta gave him. "Yea I guess you're right..." The tom, Breeze, said.
"I'm always right."
"Whatever..."
The voices faded as they left, leaving Owlnose alone with his thoughts, which he could barely hear over his pounding heart. Beta really was going to save me... He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. There was nothing he could do now except sleep. Hopefully Beta will keep her word... He didn't have much faith that she would, but he felt as though he was finally beginning to figure the mysterious she-cat out. Suddenly, another thought came to him as her final words to him rang in his head. What did she mean... "we"?