The next four days were pretty normal. They woke, hunted, walked, hunted, walked some more, made a nest and hunted yet again before finally laying down to eat. The reason they had to hunt so much was because the prey was strangely meager. what they could find was skittish and thin, hardly enough for two growing cats. Though Amber was older than her by a few moons, he was still growing as fast as Raven was. She guessed that since she was eight moons now, Amber must be around ten.
A young warrior. she thought regretfully. Would she be nearing warrior-hood had she stayed in NightClan? Mousebrain! she scolded herself. It's not your fault. NightClan... Disappeared? That was what Goldenheart had told her.
But how is that possible?
Then Raven thought back to her dream five nights ago, when the world had shifted and erupted into a huge mountain. And then the voice came back to her, booming across the landscape;
"COME RAVEN, COME HERE AND TRY TO STOP ME! YOU WILL HAVE TO DEFEAT ME IF YOU EVER WANT TO SEE YOUR PRECIOUS NIGHTCLAN AGAIN."
Raven shivered. Who was it that had challenged her? She didn't recognize the voice, but it sent tremors of fear pulsing through her fur. And Amber had said he once heard that too, but ignored it. After that his brother had stopped visiting. Was there... A connection?
Impossible. she frowned. She glanced up and saw that amber had wandered ahead of her. They had to cross an open field! Raven hadn't noticed it when she had walked, lost in thoughts. Amber seemed oblivious too with his head down and eyes narrowed.
Raven halted when a slightly familiar tang hit her nose. She looked around and saw Amber stop too. She bounded up to his side and was about to say something when a whole pack of large dogs came running out from the undergrowth. Their large, slobbery tongue hanging out of their mouths as they howled and barked to each other.
"Wolves!" Amber exclaimed in surprise.
"Wolves-? Yes of course!" Raven exclaimed as well. She remembered the young male, Spiritus, who had shown her his life somehow. She glanced at her necklace, which was vibrating slightly, picking up traces of memory from all the wolves. The leader was a huge thing, with muscles rippling under it's glossy gray coat. Scars covered it's pelt, and they way it ran told Raven that it DEFINITELY was the leader. One or two of the wolves spotted the cats first, but to her and amber's surprise they veered away from them as if afraid. The leader looked at them last, his yellow eyes glittering with hidden feelings as he ran past.
It all happened in the span of five or six heartbeats, but to Raven it seemed slow motion, a whole life time. When the last til disappeared through the last bush and into the fields beyond, Amber and Raven followed as if in a trance. They stopped at the edge of the grassy field, staring as the wolves ran. Almost over, they stopped and howled. At someone, something? raven wasn't sure. But the sound was magnificent. She realized that she liked wolves, trusted them like her own kind.
Other cats may be afraid, but I'm not.
Then the wolf pack ran again, away into the other forest. Raven felt her necklace stirr one final time, then grow still and she knew it had picked up what memories it could. She looked at amber, who was now shaking his pelt. His amber eyes were shining and his paws trembled slightly, but he didn't say anything about it. Raven didn't push him either, because she understood. So instead they started walking again.
"Wait." Amber stopped her. "I'll cross first. When I'm half-ways, you come." he meowed.
"Why?" Raven objected. "Aren't we safer as two?"
"Maybe, but you never know what is hidden in the open landscapes. I'll wave my tail at you so you can run, OK?" he looked her into the eyes.
"Fine." Raven sighed and relented. She took a step back. "Go."
