𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥𝗦ᶠᵃⁿᶠⁱᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿ 一 𝔅𝔩𝔞𝔷𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔱 [𝟑]

❆☾𑁍𓆱ᥴhᥲρtᥱr 𝟹𝟿𓆱𑁍☽❆

Larkwing stood on the ledge, her gaze cast downwards. Her legs wouldn't stop shaking.

She needed to think carefully about what she should say. The lives of all cats here depended on her powers of persuasion.

It was already sunset. A few cats were in the camp, sharing tongues. Among them, Larkwing could catch a glimpse of Leafwind and Splashfur. Her paws itched with the urge to join them and try to forget that gloomy cloud hanging over them.

"Pull yourself together," she growled. "You're the only one who knows about Sunray's plans."

All right. She took a shaky breath. Just call a meeting.

How crazy she must be to take such a right. You're not a leader, her guilty conscience whispered to her. You have no right to give orders to others.

She shook her pelt. There was no time to think about whether what she was about to do was appropriate.

Just as Larkwing was about to draw attention to herself with a yowl, an angry snarl sounded. The brown and black spotted tom, Trout, whom she had already met yesterday, was facing a grey-brown tabby tom, his hairs all standing up in his pelt.

"Don't you understand that it's no longer safe for us at the ruins?" Trout sounded tense. "We can't return!"

"Well, I don't understand you!" the other tom replied sharply. "The ruins have always been our home. Just because we've been driven from there doesn't mean we have to hide in the forest forever."

Trout fluffed his tail. "They were our own campmates! You're not seriously asking us to go back to the place where they betrayed us."

Larkwing clenched her teeth. Until now, the camp had seemed so calm. At the same time, she had to admit that she liked the grey-brown tabby tom's attitude. Understandably, he didn't want to forget the old camp so easily. That was exactly the kind of cat she needed. Cats who were willing to reclaim what they had lost.

With this realisation in mind, she inflated her lungs and howled at the volume of a thunderclap, "Set your damn eyes on me!"

Silence followed immediately. Even the omnipresent chirping of the birds was gone. Only the beating of her heart was audible to Larkwing, so loud that another cat could hear it if they stood close enough.

"I don't think there's any point in retreating either," Larkwing began. At that moment, she was grateful for the argument, because it meant she didn't have to worry about what words to start her speech with, but could simply add something to the existing discussion.

Trout interrupted her. "What do you know about it?"

Certainly more than you. Larkwing swallowed the snarky retort and glared at Trout until the snide expression had disappeared from his face.