hopefully i'll finish it
—
Rain pelted a dark, misty moorland as thunder crackled among the clouds. The dim, leafy outlines of treetops outlined the black sky, and beyond the woodland, two shapes stood close to the edge of a deep, dark gorge.
One bore a striped coat, and the other black with white markings, like snow on a raven's wing.
The two hared across the long, soaked grass, their pelts slick from the hard downpour. They'd been hunting pigeons when the storm began, and now they were desperate to get home.
Panting, the tabby slid to a stop, his companion halting as well. Both cats heaved for breath as their drenched pelts dripped onto the springy, dark grass.
"Robin's Wing, we need to get back to the Tribe!" the white-and-black cat hissed, shaking out his pelt, even though it didn't change the cold.
"The Tribe can wait, Snowy Owl! We cannot return until we have caught-prey!" the tabby snarled, lashing her rain-soaked tail.
"We'll be caught-prey to this storm unless we head back!" Terror sparked in Snowy Owl's gaze as he began to pace forward, paws slipping on the muddy ground.
Robin's Wing glared at her Tribemate, "Your too weak! If we return empty-pawed, then who's going to feed Arching Fern?" the tabby spat, hurrying towards Snowy Owl.
"You only care for her because she's the kit-mother to your kits." the white tom narrowed his eyes to slits. "Snowy Owl, do not use my mate's status against me. Don't forget, I'm Stoneteller's successor." Robin's Wing glared back with fire in his eyes.
Snowy Owl drew back his lip, turning on the muddy, slippery ground. He dug in his claws to keep hold, the rain not ceasing at all. If he fell, he would plummet down to the Thunderpath at the bottom of the gorge.
"We need to return to our Tribe. They can go without a few pieces of prey. Two prey-hunters are more important than food." Snowy Owl's fur twitched along his spine, sensing tension rising in the air between them.
"As the successor of Stoneteller, I state that we are forbidden to return until we have prey to feed our Tribemates!" Robin's Wing drew up his head in defiance.
"And what would Stoneteller think if she found we got killed in a storm while bickering over what to do?" Snowy Owl met his gaze steadily. It was clear that none of Robin's Wing's words would change his mind.
Robin's Wing let out a low, menacing hiss, claws unsheathing against the soaked grass. But this wasn't to keep a grip on the loose soil.
He'd unsheathed his claws for a fight.
Snowy Owl stiffened, feeling the rain soak onto the skin on his back as he prepared for the first blow. Robin's Wing had fought his Tribemates before, yet Stoneteller refused to remove his high-status title.
"Fine, Robin's Wing. Kill me now. See what good it'll do you." he spat, pure hatred burning in the white tom's gaze. He sheathed his claws, feeling the soil and grass slip from beneath him.
"You make this too easy." the tabby's eyes glinted and darkened, lashing his striped tail. If he were to kill Snowy Owl, then so be it.
"Go on. I can see your muscles tensing, you're planning to attack any heartbeat now. So why aren't you?" Snowy Owl wasn't even a tiny bit afraid of his murderous Tribemate. He had a plan, to end all this.
A growl rose in Robin's Wing's throat as he bunched his haunches and leapt. Both cats rolled in the grit, grappling at one another and attempting to gain control. Even though Snowy Owl hadn't planned on fighting, his instincts took over and he found himself slashing at the tabby's muzzle.
Eyes wide, Snowy Owl caught a glimpse of the outside world over Robin's Wing's ear, shoving himself higher to glance at their surroundings.
The thunderstorm hadn't ceased, and other than the rain-drenched fields, he saw the ground fall away into shadow. The gorge.
Acting quickly, Snowy Owl pummeled at his Tribemate's stomach, desperately trying to push him off. Once Robin's Wing shifted and staggered onto the muddy ground, the white tom bounced to his paws, panting.
Robin's Wing appeared scared for a few moments, his hind paws scrabbling at the edge of a fatal drop into the roaring gore, which stretched like a deep claw mark through the land. The distant lights of a monster shone from the bottom - now was his chance.
Darting forward faster than a running fox, Snowy Owl head-butted Robin's Wing's shoulder, sending him into the darkness of the gorge. His claws clung to the loose ground for a moment, before they slipped away and he disappeared into shadow. A screech and deafening roar came from deep within the gorge, and then silence as the monster faded to a distant hum.
Snowy Owl panted. In places, his white fur was matted with blood where his Tribemate had dealed blows, and everywhere else was slick with rain. He'd done it.
A slight smile split his muzzle. No more useless bloodshed, no more softpaws forced to their limits. It was all over, disappearing like mist in the early rays of dawn.
As he began his trek home through the storm, a sharp sense of suspicion and worry that had gripped his belly for so many moons eased. At last, the Tribe was safe. And Snowy Owl knew that was what he had been meant to do.
—
it's done
