Warriors An Awaiting Dawn: The Blazing Sun

Chapter 17

All of the cats sat down enjoying the feel of the warm sun on their coats. Wolf Fur wanted to venture off into the pines again. He roused himself moving to not disturb Little Ear sleeping by him, then padded towards the entrance.
"Where you off too young'n?" Asked a raspy voice. The tom turned to see Bright Wind. "I'm just going off to hunt as all. For the group you know." Wolf Fur shifted his paws. The she-cat flicked her tail. "Ah young contributors." She mewed in a fond tone and turned to go lower herself on her belly beside Fish Scar and Eagle's Speck. He turned and walked out of the entrance in a trot. The tom headed for the pine trees. He waited to feel the crunch of pine needles under his paw pads again. The tom stared around the trees. The tom blinked and saw a cat wander around aimlessly. They didn't seem loss;in fact they seemed contempt as they walked about. Their body was plump and there was something around their neck. The cat stopped and saw Wolf Fur. The cat didn't even bother to look ready defend themselves. "Hi!" It was a she-cat and she sounded friendly.
"Greetings." Was all Wolf Fur had to reply. It was an orangish-red she-cat.
"My name's Autumn! I've never seen you before." She mewed and leaned close to sniff him. The thing around her neck made a weird noise.
"What's that thing?" Wolf Fur asked poking at the silver thing around her neck.
"It's my collar. And this is my bell!" She moved her head and the thing around her neck made the weird noise again. The tom blinked. "That's er.. nice." He muttered.
"What's your name?" Autumn asked him. "Wolf Fur." He replied.
Autumn blinked and saw a butterfly. "Do you want to chase a butterfly with me?" She asked. "I need to get back to my home." He mewed. "Do you have housefolk too?" She asked. Wolf Fur tipped his head to one side. "What's a housefolk?" He asked. These words sounded so weird.
"They're tall creatures who take care of me and feed me and make sure I have food!" She mewed.
"Why don't you come to my group in the forest? It's much better out here." He meowed. Autumn tilted her head. "I don't know about that.." she murmured.
"Oh I understand." Wolf Fur mewed. He didn't carry any reaction at all. Just a simple shrug and a friendly smile. Autumn curled her tail neatly around her delicate paws. "I'm sorry, you seem like a very nice cat, I just couldn't bare the thought of making my house-folk upset." She mewed, panic in her round eyes. "It's okay. It makes me think if I left my father and my sister. I'd feel the same." He meowed. She nodded in understanding. "Well, I'll see you around..maybe?" She replied. The tom flicked his black tail. "Goodbye Autumn!" He mewed watching her prance away. She waved her tail in acknowledgment as she left. "Well well Wolf Fur. Mingling with the kittypets?" Gorse Feather padded up purring in amusement.
"Wh-what?" He stammered completely flustered that she was even there. Autumn bounded away towards her home, her tail fading in the distance the farther she was going.
"You met Autumn? Not the brightest cat I've met, but still fun loving." The tabby purred. Wolf Fur just sat in silence, curling his tail around himself. "Let's just go back." He muttered. The tom noticed a mouse was in her jaws. He remembered he had said he was supposed to go hunting!
"You lied about that didn't you?" Gorse Feather's amused tone jolted him from his panic. "Come on, let's get some mice." She led the way into the pine trees.

"We'll take this straight to prey heap." Gorse Feather put her catch, a bird down on top of a squirrel. Wolf Fur out his catch, a mouse next to hers.
"We're so strong and fierce!" Curly Branch squealed running around with glee and dancing beside a shredded piece of moss. "Yeah! That enemy didn't know what hit them!" Hawk's Cry agreed bouncing on his toes beside Stone Frost who was cheering his littermates on in excitement.
"We must do something about the wolves." Running Fern meowed walking beside Fish Scar. He sighed and glanced at the ground. "I know. We will. But our group needs strength. Bright Wind is too old. Eagle's Speck has kits, hunting's already a challenge." He reminded. "And how are we going to do that?" Dapple Spots broke in.
"I'll see if the ancestors can give me any type of guidance.." Pigeon Talon mewed joining. Wolf Fur slightly bristled. How could they rely on the ancestors so easily? How could they think they had the answers so quickly?