Gilafang's Resentment (Book 4)

Chapter 13

Ryeflight let out a scoff. "Housefolk?! I'm not a filthy kittyept! I'm a clan cat!" He shot indignantly. Badgerfang shot a glare at him. Ryeflight slapped his tail over his mouth. "Sorry. I just can't handle being called a kittypet."

Sam was watching curiously from his perch on top of the red stone wall. "Kittypet? Clan cat?" He echoed, his eyes clouded with confusion. "What are y'all talking about?"

This time Snowtip answered. "We come from DewClan, the group of wild cats across the desert." She explained. "Kittypets are cats who live with two- housefolk." She corrected herself quickly. Sam nodded.

"Ooohhh. Okey doke! I'm just headn' home, if you wanna join me. I've got plenty of extra food for lone strangers like you. Where y'all goin'?" He asked, leaping down. His bright blue eyes were very kind and sincere.

Ryeflight almost let out a gag behind Gilapaw, and he heard a harsh nudge from Snowtip. Turtleface giggled again. Badgerfang answered. "We are looking for cats to live with is, we recently recovered from a very dark time of many deaths." He said. Gilapaw shuddered, grateful he didn't go more in depth.

Sam's eyes suddenly softened. Their cheerful glint disappeared. "Oh." He said quietly, his tail, a heartbeat ago held high and confident, was now dropped to the ground. Gilapaw moved to touch his paw.

"Whats wrong?"  He asked gently. Sam sniffled, lifting his paw to rub his eyes the slightest bit.

"Oh, nothin'. It just..." He didn't finish. A long silence followed, all the cats staring awkwardly around. Turtleface was staring especially awkwardly at her paws, tail twitching with anxiety.

Finally she was the one to break the silence. "It's ok, Sam. You can tell us..." She began, but he shook his head and sniffled, trying to look his bravest. He shook his head harder for a split second, and sighed.

"Nah, I'm fine. I'll take y'all back to my place, we can talk there an' you can all meet my friends! Maybe you'll find whatever your lookin' for with them!" He suggested, and bounded across the black thunderpath without warning, leaving the clan cats to scramble after him. Ryeflight was last in line, hesitating a heartbeat warily as a monster turned the corner and started to hurtle towards him. Ryeflight froze.

"Ryeflight!!!" Snowtip called to her mate, skidding to a stop. Sam looked up in alarm, his eyes wide. Snowtip made a move to jump on the thunderpath to shove Ryeflight out of the way, but Sam held her back.

"No, you'll get hurt!" He cried. Ryeflight screeched, running blindly ahead, trying to outrun the monster's roaring engines. But he wasn't fast enough, and the monster hit his grain colored fur with a sickening thump.

Snowtip screeched, and Sam finally released her. The twoleg in the monster clambered out of it's belly, and let out a yowl of alarm, reaching down to gently touch Ryeflight's bloody body. Snowtip pelted to his side and hissed, swiping at the twoleg with open claws. The twoleg gasped and shot up, backing away from Snowtip. When it left, Snowtip grabbed Ryeflight's scruff and pulled him to the rest of the patrol, where she lay next to him, licking his forehead.

"Ryeflight, wake up!" She mewled desperately, her voice horrified. Sam gave a grieved look as he sat down, watching silently and respectfully keeping his distance. 

"I'm sorry! I don't know if I can guarantee his safety, Snowtip... But I do know one way he could have a chance at surviving..." Sam said quietly after a minute of her sobbing. Snowtip looked up, her eyes streaming with tears.

"What? Tell me, please!" She begged. Sam looked at the ground.

"You won't like it."

"Tell me!"

Finally Sam sighed. "Y'all could take him to the vet... And they could heal him. But I don't know if he'll ever be able to come back to you, y'all might not get him back." He explained. "My housefolk take in injured cats and dogs to the vet, and they 'most never come back. They get adopted at the vet, or sent straight to a shelter." He said. "You might never see him again, but he'll be alive." 

Snowtip sobbed quietly into Ryeflight's fur. "My love..." She whispered. Gilapaw hung his head low. Ryeflight was always a kind and easy tom to joke around and play with. He was always a fun guy.

Badgerfang touched Snowtip's shoulder. "He'll be alive and safe, Snowtip. Isn't that better than dying now?" He said gently. When Snowtip nodded painfully, Badgerfang sighed.

"Take us to this vet, Sam. Please." He added. Sam nodded solemnly, and turned tail to race off into the sunhigh sun.

"I'll be right back."