Warriors: Feather's Path

Chapter 6

Feather watched as Hawk's mouse dangled from his jaws as the two cats padded back to the Cave of Rushing Water with Cloud, Stone, Tree, and Mountain. The she cat bared nothing, while Stone and Cloud each carried a small sparrow.

"You did excellent hunting." Feather mewed to Hawk as they padded onward. "Even compared to a tribe cat."

Hawk rolled his eyes. "Snow fall is coming."

"Snow fall?" Feather asked. "We call it the time of frozen water here."

"So you say?" Hawk meowed. "Tribe cat names for things are weird."

Feather flicked her tail. "Whatever." She mewed as she began to pad up the trail.

"What do you say we share this mouse in our fresh nests?" Hawk called as he quickened his pace, catching up to she she-cat.

Feather nodded. "Sure."

"Don't go so far ahead!" Mountain called. "Hawks, Falcons, and Eagles are very active at this time of day."

Feather looked over her shoulder. "After countless moons living here, you think I'd not know that?" She asked.

Hawk looked at Feather. "You're quite a smart mouse, aren't you?"

"Smart mouse?" Feather meowed. "Who do you think you're talking to?" She said with a soft swat to the tom's ear.

Hawk flicked the she-cat on the nose with his tail. "I think I'm talking to a she-cat who likes to talk back!" He purred.

"You should be respectful to the she-cat who brought you here." Feather meowed with a roll of her eyes.

"I was supposed to." Hawk meowed, as he set paw on the cold stone of the cave entrance floor.

Feather sighed. "Whatever." She glanced behind her, before following the tom into the Cave of Rushing Water.

Hawk was greeted by Owl, Reed, and Bird, all squealing with excitement at the sight of the tom.

"Can you teach us battle moves?" Owl asked.

Feather shook her head at the kits. "No, it's too late for that." She meowed. "How about tomorrow?"

Owl sighed. "Fine."

Watching the three kits tumble away, she turned back to Hawk, and the two cats padded to their nests.

As Hawk dropped the mouse in front of the she-cat, he settled into his nest, and took a bite. "I never had mouse this good before." He mumbled through meat.

"Right?" Feather purred as she tore off a piece of flesh from the light brown pelt.

Feather stretched in her nest as cool morning air filtered though the cave, and began to ruffle her gray and brown fur. She felt Hawk's warm pelt rising and falling against her's, and she decided to get up.

Other cats were stirring, and some were already up, talking by the cave entrance.

Accidentally flicking Hawk on his ear with her tail, Feather watched as the large tom blinked open his dark blue eyes.

"Sorry." She murmured.

The dark golden tom rolled his eyes stretched out his forepaws. "No worries." He whispered.

Feather felt Hawk get up and stand beside her. Together, the two cats padded to the entrance of the cave to look out to the mountains. They were greeted by Stoneteller, where she was talking to Pine and Flower by the nursery cave entrance.