Warriors- Rise of the Guardians

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Tigerstar groaned. It had taken his every ounce of concentration-and energy-to flash to the place where Kougar was. Blinking dizzily, the dark furred tom grimaced and got unsteadily to his paws. Trees, tall and branchy, surrounded him on all sides. "What in Starclan-" Tigerstar was about to curse when his ears pricked.

Snap.        

A twig snapped from behind him, and he whirled around, alert. Silence ensued. Nothing sounded; no birdcalls, no sign of squirrels darting away. Uneasy, the male cat turned back and padded quickly away. He didn't like this place. Kougar could be in danger. Worse, she could be injured. Tigerstar snarled at that thought. His female- injured?

Over his dead body.

 Motivated by that thought, Tigerstar bounded through the seemingly endless forest, searching for Kougar. Her scent was nowhere to be found. Not even a trace. Frustrated, Tigerstar raced even faster. "Kougar!" He yowled, ignoring the fact that he was giving away his location. "Kougar! Where are you?" He called out once more.

His pelt was prickling with an ominous sense of danger, and his heart was pounding wildly. Kougar, where was she? Anxious now, he paced the forest impatiently, sniffing so hard he was afraid his nose would fall off. "Kougar!" He shouted. He repeated her name over and over again until his throat became dry, his voice turning raspy. Can't give up. Must find Kougar. Tigerstar's vision was blurring.

Black dots danced across his eyes.

"Kougar!" He growled. Answer me, female!

"Tigerstar?" A feminine whisper sounded to his right. Her voice was so soft, it was barely audible. Something whooshed at his ear. A cry of pain. Kougar's cry of pain.

Tigerstar snarled. Kougar. My Kougar. "Don't touch her!" His roar shook the earth, and he felt his muscles bunching, growing. He saw red. Literally. He stomped his way over to Kougar, the ground shaking with each step he took. The trees seemed shorter now; and his paws seemed large than normal.

The thought was fleeting. I've grown.

Then Kougar's groan jolted his back to reality. He swung his head toward the direction of the voice. "Kougar!" He roared. "Tigerstar," the call was a plea. "I'm coming, sweetheart." He pounded his way to her, and when he finally saw her, he almost collapsed with relief. "Kougar," He whispered her name as if it was a prayer. He felt himself shortening. His red vision ebbed away as he neared the she-cat.

"Kougar," he repeated, sighing. His eyes glowed with relief. The female's eyes shone with hope, but then it winked out, leaving her eyes cold and empty. Why? Wasn't she happy to see him? Tigerstar had barely gathered his thoughts when familiar voice, dark and menacing, boomed from behind him.

"Not so fast, Tiger."

--

"Thunderpaw!" Frustrated, the she-cat growled lowly in her throat. Where'd she disappear off to? She had seen her just a moment ago, on the rock! Then she'd disappeared, and the two cats watching were laughing. What did they do to her? Furious, Eaglewing stalked over to the pair; one bright orange, the other pure white.

"Hey, you! What did you do to Thunderpaw?"

They stopped laughing and turned around, mouths agape. "Who are you?" They chorused. Eaglewing snarled. She didn't have time for their antics. "Tell me where she is. Now." The white-furred female chuckled. "Well, she disappeared, so that means she's with-" The tom nudged her suddenly, stopping her mid-sentence.

Eaglewing's eyes narrowed.

"She's with?" She probed.  

"Someone you don't need to know," The male replied rudely. Eaglewing scowled. Jerk. "Who are you?" She tried again. "I'm Frost, he's Boomer. Hi. Nice to meet you," Frost jabbered excitedly. "How did you get in here, though? You aren't one of us. You shouldn't have been able to see us, or this place."