A Rough Start

Chapter 1

Paws thudded hard on the ground. A russet colored she-cat ran through the forest, as she heard screeches of fury and anger behind her. They're trying to find me! She thought frantically as pain seared through her shoulder. I hope Red is alright.. The cat looked across from her and saw her sister racing beside her, a long haired, ginger she-cat. "Red! Over here!" She called to her. The ginger cat looked over, "Vixen! Thank goodness you're safe, but they're not far behind us.." Red mewed to Vixen. "Let's climb a tree, run around a little more but in a pattern to surround the area with our scent. They'd be confused and don't know where to look." Vixen panted. "Great idea sis. You've always had the brains." Red mewed to her.

The two ran around trying to stay close but yet far enough from the furious yowls. Vixen gave Red a nod and they rushed up the tree. Vixen barely made it up, her shoulder feeling as if a badger was tearing through her fur. She looked over to her sister and she noticed the wound. Red opened her mouth to question but then Vixen raised her tail for silence and pointed down. Down below two cats, a tom and a she-cat sniffed around, their jaws parted, tails flicking, and their fur fluffed up. The white tom snarled and walked around the base of the tree and Vixen was shaking. Red looked as she was about to jump down, and she was. Vixen looked at her wide-eyed and shook her head. Don't.. Don't do it.. We can both live just a little more patience.. Don't die for me.. She thought frantically. Vixen wanted to yowl out to her to stop but it seemed as if Red got the message but still didn't move from her pouncing position. It seemed like ages before Red looked over at Vixen and mouthed, "I'll come back" and "I'm sorry.." After that she lunged at the two cats, yowling and spitting, slashing and kicking. Red ran around trying to tire them out but the tom was faster. Frost.. Don't.. She's your daughter.. The white tom leapt and pinned Red to the ground. They rolled and Frost threw Red up against the tree Vixen was in. Come on Red.. You're stronger! Red kicked out with her hind legs in a frantic effort to get the tom off. Frost gave an evil smirk before he raked his claws down Red's stomach, blood pouring and pooling onto the ground. Vixen wanted to yowl of terror but she knew she'd be found. The she-cat padded up, hurt in her eyes and Vixen could tell this is not what she'd wanted out of this. Mom.. Make him bring her back! She can't die! We.. We didn't get to say goodbye yet.. The two kits got their looks from their mom, and Frost wanted a tom, he always did. After a couple of minutes the two left. Frost quietly left without a sound, without any remorse for his dead kit, and the she-cat with her tail dragging on the ground with grief.

Vixen peered down at the motionless body at the base of the trunk. It was sunset and Vixen wanted to see Red before she had to bury her, or at least try before she ran out of sunlight. She climbed down the tree, her shoulder still hurt but the bleeding dried up and stopped. On Vixens shoulder was a gash, from her left ear down to the back of her shoulder. She looked down at her sister and touched her nose to Red's now cold body. "I won't let anything happen to you.. And I'll try my hardest to survive.. So that your death wasn't worthless.." Vixen started to dig a hole, thanking herself that it wasn't leaf-bare yet and the warm atmosphere was still around at night.

Once Vixen had buried Red she climbed back up the tree, but onto a lower branch because of her shoulder. Although the bleeding had stopped it still was filling her body with pain. She looked over at the wound and her fur was matted with blood. Vixen settled into a crook in a branch, making sure she couldn't fall through, then she dug her claws into the branch. She lapped at the cut and started to clean the fur and wound. She winced as her rough tongue went over the raw skin but she knew she had to clean it out. I need herbs but I don't know what they do! She thought hoping that it wasn't already infected.

As she was cleaning out her fur she fell asleep. Vixen jumped awake as she heard something crash into the tree and a squawk followed after it. She looked up and saw a bird perched up a few branches above her. Vixen thought about trying but she was too stricken with to go up the tree. Vixen got up and balanced her way along the branch to the trunk. She looked up to find the bird still fluttering around and she sighed. Her stomach was growling but she didn't care and she made her way down the tree, it was time she started to move on. Vixen gave one last glance to Red's grave and dipped her head. I'll see you one day sister. She mewed to herself and headed toward the setting sun.

The journey would be long and hard, but she knew she had to keep on moving. She took it slow for her shoulder still wasn't healed, it was far from it, the wound being a deep gash.

This is surely going to leave a scar..