The Peace of the Wanderer

Chapter Fourteen: Tooth and Claw

Shadow leapt off of her ledge, racing alongside her allies. Yowls and screams of pain and fury pierced the air. Around her were multiple small battles raging, some were even matched, while others were plain unfair to one of the parties.

The scent of blood began to fill her nostrils as she scanned the battlefield, looking for an open opponent.

She didn't really need to, though, since she saw a tortoiseshell she-cat being overwhelmed by a small brown furred wolf some several tail-lengths away from her.

Fur fluffed up, Shadow sprinted to the she-cat's aide, ramming herself into the wolf's side, a screech tearing from her lungs.

The wolf yelped in surprise, quickly gaining back its composure. It focused its glare at Shadow, seeming to completely forget about its former target. The tortoiseshell ran off, not before giving Shadow a nod of grateful gratitude.

Shadow faced her opponent, her breath quickening as she lashed her tail back and forth. The wolf growled threateningly as it slowly moved towards her.

The cat narrowed her eyes before eagerly pouncing on the wolf, grunting as she jumped. She landed on the canine's back, her claws digging in the wolf's hide.

The wolf barked in rage, shaking itself until, finally, Shadow lost her grip on it. She was flung to the side, her body motionless for a moment before she shakily got to her paws. Before she could retaliate, the wolf was upon her.

The growling monster swiftly grabbed Shadow by her hind leg, the one she had been trying to get back to normal after the tree incident. It shook her like a ragdoll, snarling in fury.

Shadow felt the worst pain she had ever felt run up her leg. It hurt even more than it had when she had gotten the original wound, which was saying something.

She felt something snap within her as she realized she couldn't take it anymore. She. Just. Couldn't. Do. It.

She screamed in agony as she saw black spots dotting her vision. Slowly but surely, her surroundings became darker and darker. It made her feel trapped in her own personal prison.

The pain seemed to last forever, she felt like she would never be without it again. She writhed in torment, her energy slowly running out. She finally stopped trying to escape the jaws of her captor. Maybe if the wolf thought she was dead it'd leave her alone. She wouldn't even mind death at that point. She just wanted everything to stop.

She closed her eyes as she became oblivious to the world. At least she would go out trying to fight.

"Get away from her!" Shadow barely heard the shout, but she knew it was there.

The pressure on her leg released as she vaguely discerned the wolf whimpering in pain. Her senses slowly came back, not to normal, but better than before. The hurt was still there, but at least she could move. The main pain was in her leg, but she had learned how to avoid using that one from training with Midnight.

"Shadow? Shadow!" The voice was clearer now. Now she could tell it was definitely from a tom.

As her vision cleared, she saw the face of a black tomcat staring at her, a concerned look in his blue and gold eyes.

Wait.

Blue and gold?

Shadow's eyes widened as she stumbled to her paws, flinching as she accidently put weight on her hind leg. She blinked at the wound as blood steadily flowed out of it. No wonder it hurt so much- the bite was pretty nasty.

She turned her head back to Midnight, but he was already busy with the wolf who had attacked her in a flurry of fur, claws, and fangs. The fight between them was so intense that Shadow couldn't even tell who was who. Hisses, barks, and yowls rang through the air.