Warriors: Impending Storm (ON PAUSE)

Chapter Six

"Quail Feather! Quail Feather, where are you?"

Waning Moon could feel herself falling behind. Ahead, her Tribemates' paws pounded on the forest floor, their tails streaking out behind them as they ran. Cloud Chaser was at the head of the procession; never before had Waning Moon see the Tribe leader move so quickly before. Alongside him ran Kestrel Wing, the young hunter who had alerted the Tribe of the badger and the impending danger of Quail Feather and Fox Tooth. And behind Kestrel Wing, next to Pike's Tooth, Rabbit's Leap and Golden Sun, strode her own mother and father-White Flower and Falling Rain raced to keep up with their Tribe leader, their fur standing on end, their ears flattened. If Waning Moon could have seen their faces, she would have expected their eyes to be as large as full moon, filled with anger and terror. A twinge of jealousy prickled her paws. Quail Feather seemed to ignite the most passionate emotions in her parents, while Waning Moon did little more than invoke uninterested acceptance in her existence. Like her old mentor, White Flower and Falling Rain seemed to have forgotten she existed. But could she blame them? She had been hiding in the novices' den for moons, and had shunned most visitors. Perhaps her mother and father had grown weary of her self-pity and had let her be long ago.

Or perhaps they want to forget they have a broken daughter, she thought darkly. Perhaps they want to pretend as if a cat that can never be a full warrior or hunter is not their kit after all.

Beside her, Fish Catcher lumbered slowly, matching her pace equally so as not to leave her alone and behind. For this, Waning Moon was grateful-massive and powerful, Fish Catcher could have outrun her and most of her Tribemates, but he had chosen to keep pace with her instead. "Do you think the badger's made it this far?" he queried.

"I doubt it. We'd smell it for sure, and I haven't heard any heavy pawsteps."

"I can't smell anything with all these other cats around." Fish Catcher twitched his nose. "There are too many of us. The badger could be lying in wait, hiding in the bushes, and attack us when we least expect it. They aren't as stupid as some cats say they are."

Waning Moon had not considered this, and it made her fur prickle. She glanced to the left and the right, seeking malicious dark eyes in the shadows, but she could see nothing. She opened her jaws, allowing the scents around her to pass across her palate, but Fish Catcher was right-all the other scents of the forest had been drowned out by the smells of her Tribemates. There were too many cats in the vicinity to tell if there were any other living creatures around them.

"Quail Feather! Quail Feather!" Waning Moon let out another cry, hoping her voice would carry. "Where are you?"

"Be quiet!" Just a few dozen pawsteps ahead, a big brown tom whipped his head around to stare at her. Waning Moon recognized him as Pike's Tooth; the older hunter narrowed his deep green eyes at her, whiskers twitching. "You don't want to draw the badger to us, or we'll all be in trouble."

"Quail Feather and Fox Tooth are already in trouble, so what does it matter?" Waning Moon shot back. "We have to confront the badger at some point."

Pike's Tooth curled his lip in a snarl, then turned around again. He picked up his pace, quickly leaving the two of them behind.

"What a nasty furball, huh?" Fish Catcher's eyes gleamed with amusement.

Waning Moon said nothing for a while. She was proud for having stood up for herself after being isolated and downtrodden for so long, but something told her that insulting and talking back to her Tribemates would do little to better the reputation she had left behind. She sighed. "He's probably just worried, like everyone else," she mewed. "No cat wants to face a badger head-on."