Dark Moon: Tell-Tale

Chapter 7

Tonks took the lead, trudging through the thick, snow-crusted grass with the rest of the group close behind. Monty and Marley trotted beside her, while Jasper was at the rear, staring down at the floor with fury. Venus kept glancing over her shoulder at the faint orange glow in the distance, her turquoise eyes filled with grief for her dead mate. Homer pressed comfortingly against her, black fur merging with ginger. Blizzard constantly looked up at the night sky, noticing it getting gradually brighter each time he checked.
The moon had barely moved; it was only 3:30am.
Tonks lifted her tail up suddenly, halting the rest of the group. She nodded toward a large blackberry bush, flecked with snow and pressed against the wall of a small cliff.
"That bush looks large enough for all of us." She pointed out. "Maybe we should camp in it for the night, just until it gets bright enough to see."
"I barely got any sleep anyway, before the fire woke me up." Venus muttered sleepily, her face still stained with heartache.
Homer let out a huge yawn. "I agree. It looks comfortable enough."
Blizzard nodded, the kittens mewled with acknowledgement. Tonks looked over her shoulder at Jasper, who just glared back at her with hatred.
Tonks' eyes narrowed, her ears fell back against her head, before she turned away again. She led Monty and Marley to the bush, where they instantly plopped to the soft, grassy floor, and fell asleep. Tonks settled next to them, curling her tail around them. Though they were only 2 months old, they were getting big, and they were almost as big as her, regardless that she was only 3 years old. Blizzard lay close by, Venus and Homer fell asleep next to each other. Jasper got comfortable by the entrance to the shrub, his back toward the others. Tonks looked away from him. Gazing down at Monty, she realised just how much he looked like his father.
Shaking away the thought, Tonks lay her head on her forepaws, shutting her yellow-amber eyes and drifting into slumber.

The moon had lowered a little, yet Jasper still hadn't closed his eyes. His ears were pricked, listening intently for the slowed breathing that showed the others were asleep. Peering over his shoulder a little to check they had dozed off, he cautiously stood up, careful not to step on Homer's paws.
Unbeknownst to Jasper, Homer was already awake after Jasper's tail had flicked across his nose. He opened his eyes a crack, acting as if he were still asleep.
Jasper crept from the blackberry bush, crouching low to the ground. Homer gingerly got to his feet, gliding across the floor silently. The forest was silent, except for the occasional chirp of a cricket, or hoot of an owl in the distance, and the quiet crunching of Jasper's paws in the thin snow.
Swerving sideways, Jasper headed around the other side of the cliff, avoiding the makeshift den they had camped in.
Homer followed quietly, stepping carefully so not to crack any twigs or rustle any leaves. Jasper would look over his shoulder from time to time, his green eyes glinting in the moonlight, and Homer would quickly duck behind a thick oak tree or holly bush.
The two eventually made it to a second small clearing, with one single tree in the centre. Homer could have sworn he saw another figure behind the pine tree, but he couldn't be sure in the darkness. His mind was changed when Jasper padded over to it and began murmuring something inaudible to it.
Homer crept cautiously closer, praying that his black pelt would be camouflaged in the shadows, and not visible in the glistening snow. He glimpsed lustrous orange eyes, and a dark, brown tabby pelt, swathed with scars.
Homer managed to catch a bit of their conversation:
"Have you found the prophesied cat?" The mysterious tabby tom asked in a deep, husky voice.
"Yes Tell-Tale." Jasper replied.
Tell-Tale? Homer shrunk back into his hiding place farther. Who is this guy?
"Unfortunately, this 'brightest shade of black' is my own son..." Jasper continued. "I told you not to send me on this mission. We should have just left it."
Homer's pelt fluffed out. They know something about the kittens! 'Brightest shade of black?' I suppose that would be grey, right? So they're talking about Marley? Or perhaps Monty? They could mean a black cat that has a bright future, or a bright personality?
While Homer was questioning himself in his head, he didn't notice Tell-Tale marching away from the clearing, while Jasper headed back toward the rest of the group. When he stepped away from the tree, he caught sight of Homer, and his fur bristled.
Jasper unsheathed his claws, pinning Homer to the snowy grass. Homer yowled in surprise as Jasper's claws dug into his shoulders.
"What do you think you're doing here?" Jasper hissed through clenched teeth.
Homer flattened his hears. "I-I couldn't get to sleep, and I saw you leave the den." Homer quickly thought of a lie. "I wanted to see if you were alright-"
He was cut off as Jasper tightened his grip on Homer's fur. "Don't you tell anyone what you saw tonight, or you're in big trouble." Jasper drew one claw across his neck, showing a death threat. He sheathed his claws, jumping off Homer, and stalking away through the snow, back the way he had gone.
Homer shook the snow from his pelt, checking over his shoulder.
Who was Tell-Tale, and why was Jasper talking to him about his kittens?
There were so many questions Homer was itching to ask, but he knew he had to keep it secret. He wasn't going to let Jasper kill him.
Not just yet.